Teacher of the Year: Adrian King

STEPPING up to the plate, interim St Sampson’s High School head teacher Adrian King helped the school through lockdown – for this he has been nominated for the Pride of Guernsey Teacher of the Year award, sponsored by HSBC.

STEPPING up to the plate, interim St Sampson’s High School head teacher Adrian King helped the school through lockdown – for this he has been nominated for the Pride of Guernsey Teacher of the Year award, sponsored by HSBC.

Deputy head teacher at the school for many years, Mr King could not have known when head teacher Annabel Bolt took early retirement at the beginning of April that he would be taking on the responsibilities of running a school through one of history’s most difficult times.

His anonymous nominator said he worked tirelessly to ensure the staff, students and wider community of parents and carers were supported and safe.

‘He had to ensure every element of school life supported the requirements for each phase of lockdown, so everything from redoing timetables to managing staff and student wellbeing,’ his nominator said.

‘The thing that stood out the most from the staff’s perspective was the sense of unity he brought to the school – no politics, just a sense of a united approach to the pandemic, especially when we were all back together in person on 8 June.’

The nominator added that although it had been a tumultuous time, Mr King made sure that they came out the other side well prepared.

‘Lockdown was difficult for everyone, including our teachers and, more importantly students and their families,’ they continued.

‘We expected a really strained transition as we all got used to this unusual way of teaching and learning.

‘With Adrian at the helm, this transition was not only easy but really enjoyable too.

‘He was ever-present, nothing was too much trouble and he worked really long hours to make sure that the St Sampson’s community was fully aware and fully supported and he really just made everyone’s life so much easier.’