DET Dispatch

Dear Colleague,

We’re delighted to share the winners of this year’s Making The Difference awards, celebrating the remarkable contributions made by colleagues across our Trust. Below, you can read exactly why our winners are so special and so deserving of this recognition.

These awards are particularly poignant because they come from within our own community. Every winner has been nominated by their colleagues who have recognised their dedication, talent and the positive impact they make every day.

Last week our winners were invited to a celebratory lunch. It was a wonderful opportunity not only to recognise their individual achievements and share the inspiring stories behind their nominations, but also to celebrate the incredible community spirit that defines our Trust

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to all of you, a talented and hardworking group whose enthusiasm and commitment to your schools continues to inspire. Thank you all for your exceptional contributions, support and unrelenting determination. Have a well deserved and restful break knowing that together, we have made a lasting impact on the lives of our pupils.

With best wishes,

Julie Jones, Interim CEO
Danes Educational Trust

Making the difference together

Ramtulasi Doddapureddy
Support staff award winner

Tulasi is an exceptionally hardworking and supportive team member who contributes significantly to the school community. She consistently goes above and beyond her core duties, leading proactive interventions and volunteering additional support to ensure our pupils achieve their full potential. Known for her exceptional positivity, Tulasi has established outstanding professional relationships with staff, parents, and pupils alike. She is a highly valued colleague whose dedication drives a positive school culture. She thoroughly deserves this formal recognition for her unwavering commitment and exemplary work ethic.

Leya Malik
Teaching staff award winner

Leya is an exceptional teacher who highly deserves recognition, she champions every pupil to achieve their full potential academically, behaviourally, and personally. She has established outstanding rapport with parents and pupils alike, resulting in exemplary classroom conduct and a highly focused learning environment. Her strategic leadership of the Ascot Road Ambassador programme further highlights her commitment to holistic pupil development and leadership skills. She operates with the utmost professionalism and is a true asset to our school community.

Sajid Ayoub
Support staff award winner

As a pastoral support officer, Sajid demonstrates exceptional patience and dedication. He makes a profound difference in the lives of our pupils, consistently offering a listening ear, sound guidance and wisdom whenever it is needed. Highly respected by both colleagues and parents, Sajid sustains an admirable standard of excellence in his daily work. We are deeply grateful for his ongoing contributions to our school community.

Claire Rhodes
Teaching staff award winner

Claire embodies a rare blend of tenacity, humility, humour and credibility, paired with an exceptional work ethic.

Her efforts to shift school culture from compliance to active engagement with a coaching model have been instrumental in improving our pupils' daily experiences. Her decision making is invariably driven by pupil outcomes, making her thoroughly deserving award winner.

Louise Lavender
Support staff award winner

Louise is a consummate professional and an absolute "one in a million" colleague. Working tirelessly behind the scenes, her dedication and enthusiasm ensure the school runs effectively while pushing it forward. Nothing is ever too much trouble, and she consistently goes above and beyond to support others. This exceptional support is highly valued by fellow data managers. Incredibly knowledgeable and always approachable, Louise generously shares her expertise to assist others in their roles. By explaining complex tasks and passing on lessons learned, she actively saves her colleagues invaluable time. Louise truly is a brilliant, deeply respected asset to the team.

Nancy Taylor
Teaching staff award winner

Nancy is an exceptional pastoral leader whose unwavering commitment strengthens the year group she oversees year after year. Her professionalism, calm authority and deep care for pupils make her a trusted and respected figure across the school community. Colleagues consistently rely on her insight and support, knowing she approaches every challenge with generosity, clarity and expertise. As Head of Year, she sets a standard of excellence, ensuring pupils feel guided, understood and encouraged to thrive. In addition to her pastoral leadership, Nancy plays a pivotal role in coordinating the peer‑mentoring programme, extending her impact to pupils across all year groups and fostering a culture of support, empathy and aspiration.

Lynne Bennett
Support staff award winner

As Assistant SENCo, Lynne’s work has been transformative for our most vulnerable pupils. Possessing unparalleled expertise in ADHD and ASD, she serves as a vital authority and source of guidance for staff. Lynne leads our Enhanced Provision with exceptional skill and warmth. Under her leadership, colleagues are empowered to develop, while pupils build the crucial confidence needed for social skills and learning readiness. Her dedication ensures children receive the high-quality, tailored provision they deserve; without her expertise, many would lack this essential support. Lynne is a highly respected professional and an invaluable asset to the school.

Louise Warren
Teaching staff award winner

Louise rightly received many nominations this year. Her leadership of phonics and reading has seen standards rise, and teachers feeling more confident in their role. Her newsletters to parents have kept a love of reading front and centre. Louise has taught some of our most complex children over the last few years, and has quietly and calmly given them the best possible year: allowing them to flourish in their own individual ways. She is quite simply a wonderful teacher and colleague

Jo Hedges
Support staff award winner

Jo is an exceptionally well organised and professional Exams Officer. She works tirelessly to ensure that every exam is prepared and running as it should. As well as her efficiency, Jo goes above and beyond to ensure all pupils are cared for, in a kind and compassionate way. Jo is a highly valued colleague who is integral to the functioning of the school and deserves the highest recognition for her service.

Emma Perry
Teaching staff award winner

Emma is an engaging and highly effective classroom practitioner. Her planning and delivery is first class and her pupils value her lessons a great deal. She brings strength and creativity in her daily practice, but also instills curiosity amongst pupils by running a series of extra curricular activities and initiatives. She brings science to life and the experience for our pupils is richer for it. A worthy award winner who we are fortunate to have as a colleague.

Claire Venables
Support staff award winner

This year, Claire transitioned from Key Stage 1 to Nursery, immediately going above and beyond for her new class. Her exceptional compassion and dedication shine through her work, as she independently manages all lesson planning and assessments to ensure her pupils thrive. Beyond her daily teaching, Claire is an incredibly reliable asset to our team. She frequently steps in to cover the class at a moment's notice, leveraging her deep understanding of her pupils' needs to bring out their absolute best. She is a safe, dependable pair of hands, and we are immensely grateful for her. Thank you, Claire.

Tanya Goel
Teaching staff award winner

In her first year as a qualified teacher, Tanya has shown incredible resilience and dedication. She has consistently shown up with a positive, determined attitude, even on the toughest days. Tanya has brilliantly embraced collaborative feedback from colleagues while demonstrating great initiative by researching and implementing her own independent strategies. She has proven herself to be an exceptional professional, and De Havilland is incredibly fortunate to have her on the team. Thank you, Tanya, for your outstanding commitment.

Kloe Gristwood
Support staff award winner

As a cover supervisor, Kloe is crucial to the smooth running of ESA, providing unwavering dedication and hard work every day. Described by colleagues as deeply kind, professional and exceptionally dependable, Kloe is someone the entire team truly relies on. Her daily contributions make a massive difference, helping countless staff and pupils alike. For always stepping up with a supportive spirit and doing whatever is needed, Kloe is a thoroughly deserving winner of this award.

Rosamund Barnes
Teaching staff award winner

Since joining ESA in September, Roz has been a shining star in her first Head of Year post. Her diligent work ethic, deep compassion, and "pupil-first" mentality have made an incredible impact. Roz builds genuine relationships, creating a vital safety net so no pupil falls through the cracks. Firm yet fair, she goes above and beyond, supporting families and lifting up the staff around her. Humble, inspirational and always smiling, Roz is a phenomenal role model and a deeply valued asset to the school.

Louise Dewar
Support staff award winner

Louise consistently goes above and beyond to provide our most vulnerable pupils in the Hub with the best educational opportunities. She collaborates with subject teachers and researches materials tailored to the correct Key Stage, year group and ability level for every individual pupil. Deeply invested in her pupils' success, Louise treats each day as a fresh start, offering unwavering support regardless of past difficulties. Demonstrating exceptional initiative, she accompanies a group of Year 11 pupils to college weekly and has organised breakfast revision sessions for disadvantaged pupils. Louise is a highly professional and dedicated asset to our team.

Megan Thompson
Teaching staff award winner

Megan’s unwavering dedication and professional work ethic are exceptional. She consistently goes above and beyond for her pupils and their families. As Head of Year, she maintains a remarkable sense of calm in high-pressure situations, combining deep commitment with an approachable sense of humour that makes learning accessible. During the Year 7 transition process, Megan takes the time to recognise pupils as individuals, collaborating closely with the wider team to ensure a smooth start to school. She is the quiet heartbeat of our school and thoroughly deserves this recognition for her outstanding service.

Lucie Cross
Support staff award winner

Lucie is a dedicated professional and a vital asset to Jupiter Primary School, frequently described as the heartbeat of the office. She consistently demonstrates an exceptional work ethic, undertaking new responsibilities during a demanding period with remarkable grace.

Known for her efficiency and collaborative spirit, Lucie routinely goes above and beyond to support colleagues, resolve problems and welcome visitors with genuine warmth. She provides a highly supportive, caring and safe environment for pupils requiring first aid or additional attention. She is a thoroughly reliable team member who richly deserves this recognition.

Jody Waters
Teaching staff award winner

Throughout this year, Jody has demonstrated outstanding leadership as Key Stage 1 leader. She has established a highly supportive, collaborative and professional working environment through her approachable and proactive nature. Jody consistently prioritises team well-being and displays a commendable team-first approach, even reallocating her own learning support practitioners to other classrooms during staff shortages. Furthermore, Jody’s strategic implementation of targeted phonics support has enabled pupils to make significant progress. She is a generous and dedicated leader who consistently goes above and beyond to support her colleagues and pupils alike, making her a vital asset to the school.

Melissa Gomes
Support staff award winner

Melissa is an exceptional member of the team with an impressive skillset. This year, she has provided excellent support in reception, consistently prioritising her pupils, particularly those with SEN needs. Due to her specialist capabilities, she successfully delivers daily interventions to pupils across the school. Demonstrating great flexibility, she has also covered our Butterfly Provision on numerous occasions. We are immensely proud of Melissa’s achievements and are delighted that her professionalism and dedication are being officially celebrated with this award.

Amy Henney
Support staff award winner

Amy is an exceptional reception teacher, delivering engaging and immersive learning experiences that ensure pupils make outstanding progress under her guidance. She leads her team with confidence, sharing her expertise to create a highly effective learning environment that drives excellent outcomes. Furthermore, Amy is an exemplary phonics leader across the school. Through rigorous training and coaching, she has empowered the team to deliver high-quality daily sessions. Her extensive knowledge of the RWI scheme has accelerated pupil progress, leading to record-breaking phonics outcomes this year. Amy’s strategic leadership ensures our pupils receive the best possible start to their reading journeys

Sophie Welsh
Support staff award winner

Sophie works diligently, always placing pupils at the heart of everything she does to truly make a difference at Onslow St Audrey's. Her colleagues describe her as cheerful, deeply caring and a wonderful source of support across her teams.

Sophie has a tremendous career ahead. Having qualified as a teacher this year, she has been appointed to teach maths and SEND at OSA from September 2026. Observers have highly commended her exceptional adaptive practice, from which the wider team is already learning. Sophie is a vital rock of OSA who thoroughly deserves this professional recognition.

Jamie -Lee Louw
Teaching staff award winner

Jamie-Lee has made a significant impact on the pastoral care for Year 8 in a very short time. Since undertaking the maternity cover role of Head of Year in February 2026, her exceptional dedication to this year group has been widely recognised by colleagues.

She has established a transparent, firm, yet caring leadership style, resulting in rapid improvements in pupil outcomes and behaviour. Operating with the utmost professionalism, Jamie-Lee consistently prioritises the welfare and progress of her pupils above all else. She is a highly valued asset to Onslow St Audrey's School, making her thoroughly deserving of this recognition.

Debbie Smith
Support staff award winner

Debbie consistently goes above and beyond for the entire school community, demonstrating exceptional kindness, patience and professionalism when engaging with staff, parents and pupils. She is highly adept at navigating complex situations and regularly resolves challenges behind the scenes to ensure seamless daily operations.

As a long-standing and deeply valued member of the team, Debbie balances her professional duties with warmth and humour, consistently prioritising the wellbeing of those around her. Her unwavering dedication and care have remained steadfast, making her a thoroughly deserving recipient of this award.

Natasha Lee
Teaching staff award winner

Tasha has demonstrated outstanding determination and professionalism throughout this academic year, successfully completing her ECT induction. She consistently maintains the highest expectations for her pupils, delivering excellent learning experiences and ensuring they receive the highest standard of education.

An exceptional team player, Tasha regularly provides valuable support to colleagues across her phase. Pupils respond warmly to her kind and nurturing approach, and she has established highly positive, collaborative relationships with parents. Her unwavering dedication and commitment to her pupils make her a thoroughly deserving recipient of this professional recognition.

Katarzyna Todd
Support staff award winner

For eight years, Kasia’s dedication to SCD’s staff and pupils has gone far beyond her role. As a "one-woman reprographics machine," she flawlessly handles tight deadlines, exams and last-minute edits, often working late to deliver materials while actively reducing school costs. Beyond her office, she quietly keeps the staff room clean and running smoothly, and even helps organise the Year 7 transition. Even when buried under mountains of test papers, Kasia remains a deeply kind, compassionate and supportive colleague who never complains. Nothing is ever too much trouble; she is a truly brilliant asset to the school.

Becky Giles
Teaching staff award winner

Becky’s unwavering support for Key Stage 3 pupils is exemplary. She approaches every case with identical enthusiasm and professionalism, never giving up on any individual. Epitomising the principle of in loco parentis, Becky ensures she knows each pupil thoroughly, providing the vital pastoral care necessary for them to thrive.

She handles complex casework and daily administrative matters with equal diligence, ensuring pupils and families feel genuinely heard and understood. For over 22 years, the school community has trusted her implicitly. Becky is an invaluable asset whose long-standing dedication has made a profound difference to countless families.

Hazel Todesco
Central Services award winner

In the fast-paced environment of central services, nothing is ever too much for Hazel. A lot of her work is completed behind the scenes and her thoroughness and attention to detail mean that a number of our trust-wide operations across finance, payroll and accounting work seamlessly and efficiently, supporting all our schools through the high level of service that Hazel provides. Hazel is flexible and adaptable. She demands excellent service from our colleagues and contractors. These traits make her a brilliant colleague and a great asset to the Trust.

Rob McCarthy
Special thanks

Rob has selflessly volunteered for over 20 years as both a governor and chair of Roselands and The Cranbourne schools, dedicating countless hours to both Hoddesdon schools and the wider DET community. His vital leadership has guided us through crucial milestones, ranging from intensive OFSTED inspections and headteacher recruitment to serving on complex panels. Beyond formal governance, Rob is a constant, supportive presence who frequently joins school trips, attends performances and champions community events. Today, we commend Rob for his remarkably long service, profound impact and enduring commitment to the success of Roselands and The Cranbourne as well as schools in the wider Trust.

Ramtulasi DoddapureddySupport staff award winner

Leya MalikTeaching staff award winner

Sajid AyoubSupport staff award winner

Claire RhodesTeaching staff award winner

Louise LavenderSupport staff award winner

Nancy TaylorTeaching staff award winner

Lynne BennettSupport staff award winner

Louise WarrenTeaching staff award winner

Jo HedgesSupport staff award winner

Emma PerryTeaching staff award winner

Claire VenablesSupport staff award winner

Tanya GoelTeaching staff award winner

Kloe GristwoodSupport staff award winner

Rosamund BarnesTeaching staff award winner

Louise DewarSupport staff award winner

Megan ThompsonTeaching staff award winner

Lucie CrossSupport staff award winner

Jody WatersTeaching staff award winner

Melissa GomesSupport staff award winner

Amy HenneySupport staff award winner

Sophie WelshSupport staff award winner

Jamie -Lee LouwTeaching staff award winner

Debbie SmithSupport staff award winner

Natasha LeeTeaching staff award winner

Katarzyna ToddSupport staff award winner

Becky GilesTeaching staff award winner

Hazel TodescoCentral Services award winner

Rob McCarthySpecial thanks