A lecturer from North West Regional College (NWRC) has been presented with the Silver Award for Further Education Lecturer of the Year, recognising her outstanding commitment to changing lives at HMP Magilligan, every day.
Pamela Brown has been teaching Creative Writing courses at the Prison since 2011 and fully understands the impact and importance of her courses on the lives of her students.
She is also the editor of prison magazine Time In, and co-edits the magazine, All In, both of which provide major curricular activity for the prisoners/students to contribute to print magazine content. Earlier this year she worked with students at Magilligan to produce a Project Based Learning short story anthology ‘Gaslight.’
Pamela ensures that each prisoner is given access to achieving the highest levels of education and delivers modules in Levels 1-3 in Creative Writing, Presentation Skills, Employability, Learning Skills and Study Styles. In the past 12 years her students have won an astonishing 195 awards.
Her students have been successful in Listowel Prison Writing Festival and the Koestler Arts Trust Competitions, with work exhibited in various locations such as the South Bank Centre, London. In 2021, during teaching via Zoom Classes, one of her students came second runner up in the Prison Reform Trust’s writing competition judged by the world-renowned crime writer Ryan Gattis based in LA.
During the pandemic, Pamela designed a weekly Creative Writing Resource for inmates in HMP Magilligan, and had a resource available on the European Prison Education Association (EPEA) website. In total, she created over 100 writing resources.
One of her students said: “Thank you for all your help, support, and encouragement over the years. My dream as a boy was to one day become a published author, with your assistance that dream is looking more likely.”
Pamela has now been shortlisted to win one of just 16 Gold Awards, which will be announced and celebrated at a gala ceremony in London on 25 November and televised on the BBC, with winners showcased on The One Show.
The honours have been announced on National Thank a Teacher Day, an annual event celebrating the role of educators across the UK for the valued role they play in communities and shaping young people.
Last year two NWRC lecturers – Ivor Neill (Sport), and Jacqueline Turner (Health) received Silver Pearson Teaching Awards, while the NWRC Health Studies team won the Gold award for Further Education Team of the Year.
The Pearson National Teaching Awards is an annual celebration of excellence in education run by the Teaching Awards Trust, an independent charity now in its 25th year, that recognises the life-changing work that takes place in education, highlighting the vital role educators play and the work that’s delivered in schools and colleges every day.
Michael Morpurgo, author, former Children’s Laureate, and President of the Teaching Awards Trust, says: “I am inspired by the devotion of teachers and the huge impact they have on the lives of the young people they tutor, support, encourage and motivate day in and day out. The valuable role they play both inside and outside the classroom has inspired generations of young people across the country to achieve their potential. I am delighted to congratulate the winners of the 2023 Awards and thank them all for the amazing contributions they have made to our communities.”
Sharon Hague, Senior Vice President of Schools at Pearson UK, says: “We would like to congratulate today’s Silver winners on their incredible achievements. We can’t underestimate the huge contribution schools make to our young people’s lives and Pamela is an inspiring example of the positive impact an individual can have on pupils and communities.”
Andrew Murdock, Pearson, Pamela Brown, Silver Award Winner, and Dr. Catherine O'Mullan, Director of Curriculum and Academic Standards.
