'Best Education and Learning Leader' - meet the finalists

The finalists represent the University of Cumbria, Woodend Country Childcare in Workington, and Raughton Head Primary School in Carlisle.

Here are the finalists:

- Professor Brian Webster-Henderson of University of Cumbria:

He has led the University of Cumbria’s crisis response which focuses on the health and wellbeing of all staff and students across its five campuses.

Brian been supported throughout by a senior team of colleagues, who have worked together to manage other pivotal aspects of university’s response.

With much of its provision focusing on key areas of public service such as education and health, the university has ensured its programmes continue to be delivered so that these vital areas have a continuous flow of students into the workforce.

In April 2020 around 98 per cent of the university’s nursing, midwifery and allied health professional students interrupted their programmes of study to take up the opportunity to join the NHS workforce on a paid placement to care for patients.

Professor Webster-Henderson, a professor of nursing, created this opportunity for students with key stakeholders and partners in Health Education England and the Department of Health & Social Care including the Chief nursing Officers of all four countries in the UK.

Professor Webster-Henderson is Chair for the Council of Deans of Health UK, a national organisation representing over 100 universities in the UK offering nursing, midwifery or allied health professions.

He is also a key leader and ‘trusted voice’ for the University of Cumbria’s staff and students, providing reassurance and acknowledging the pandemic’s impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing.

The university quickly implemented asymptomatic testing to allow its students and staff to safely access campus for much-needed learning that has benefited our local NHS and schools when students have been on placement.

The University of Cumbria has more than 1,000 employees and over 10,000 students either in full time education or part-time study.

FINALIST: Hannah Sharpe of Woodend Country Childcare

- Hannah Sharpe, team leader at Woodend Country Childcare:

According to her team, Hannah always gives 100 percent she has a passion for learning following all the children interests in her care, she makes everyday exciting and children thrive under her supervision . She is totally self motivated and was a valuable member of staff during our outstanding Ofsted inspection in 2019.

Parents have said children are so excited to be coming to nursery to see Hannah daily. And some of them don't want to leave .

"I Feel very humbled as I know this year has been a very challenging year for a lot of people and so pleased that I've even made it to the final," she said.

"I'm very passionate and enthusiastic in my role as SENCo, Deputy and Preschool leader at Woodend country childcare and I think passion and enthusiasm encourages children to form interests which leads them to learn and develop. I make resources and activities for the children within the setting or for forest school in the great outdoors we have, to enable all children with different abilities to access new experiences.

"We are like one big family at Woodend Country Childcare so we always support one another, so when Covid struck it made us even stronger as a team and we stayed open for the majority of the time to support the families and to keep the children's routines as normal as possible.

"We used our private Facebook page to share activities, I posted resilience programmes for the families, activities weekly for all age groups. I did story times over webcam while doing a brand new published course level 3 SENCo award that I did online due to restrictions.

"It brought me confidence and gave me a greater understanding of the legislation regarding children with special educational needs and all of the different services that are within Cumbria to support the children.

"I am now networking with other SENCo's within Cumbria so we can share and support one another. I want the child to get the best outcome when reaching adulthood and their families the most support and I feel now I can provide the best for those children.

As well as doing the course my twin brother is severally disabled so he is classed as high risk, he lives within the setting as it is a unique setting at Woodend, the business is built within my family home, so it was a stressful time keeping him safe and shielded as well as providing care for the children and staying open to support the families."

INSPIRED: Alison Dickinson, headteacher at Raughton Head

- Alison Dickinson, headteacher at Raughton Head:

As a small school leader, she does everything at the school according to her staff who have seen her unblocking drains, clearing gutters, chopping down trees, drilling, hammering and painting- never mind teaching as well.

Throughout the pandemic she has remained so positive, posting videos on Facebook for us all, keeping our spirits high with entertaining stories and also making sure we don’t forget to remember special occasions like VE Day (she even dressed up)and Remembrance Sunday.

"The nomination pays tribute to all the fantastic people that I have been privileged to lead, a lot of the time behind every great leader is a great team and I've worked and do work with some of the best," Mrs Dickinson said.

"Being a headteacher at 28 was one of the scariest things in my life but I look back now and I'm so proud of what I've achieved and all the children's lives I hope I've had a positive impact on.

"The last few years have been a challenge, building a school up to be a destination school not just a catchment school. Intake numbers have doubled, we've had an extra class added on, our facilities are fabulous and we have established ourselves once again as a real part of the community."