Beloved Chichester teacher with 30 years in education nominated to be Teacher of the Year

Gerry Wilcock, year 3-4 class teacher at St Richard's Catholic Primary School in Chichester has taught at the Cawley Road school for 24 years, with a total of 30 years in the profession.

Karen Courquin is SENDCO at the school and said: “The children adore Mrs Wilcock. If you ask current and past pupils their favourite teacher, Mrs Wilcock is right up there, my own two children included. The children thrive in her classroom because she is warm, caring and sees each child’s potential and talents, noticing the small things about the children and valuing them for who they are.

“Even with 30 years in teaching, Mrs Wilcock still has so much drive and enthusiasm. Mrs Wilcock is passionate about sports and goes above and beyond to ensure that they are given opportunities to compete in tournaments and sporting activities. Over the years, Mrs Wilcock has led PE at the school, led the netball club, and as a huge advocate of all things musical, she led the choir too.”

Mrs Bridges is deputy headteacher at the school and adds: “Mrs Wilcock is the type of person who brightens up a room when she walks into it. She is very chirpy, and brings a positive mindset to everything she does. Mrs Wilcock is well loved and respected by our whole community, and plays a large role in parish life.

"I think Mrs Wilcock is such a good teacher because of the enthusiasm she brings to every lesson and every interaction. For the children, she makes the lessons fun and exciting. She has high expectations for the children coupled with boundless energy, and makes every child feel special, celebrating their successes and finding the positives when placed lower down the table.

“If you meet Mrs Wilcock, her warmth, kindness and sense of humour instantly puts you at ease. I can’t think of a better recipient for Teacher of the Year than Mrs Wilcock.”

It is free for people to nominate their Teacher of the Year and all types of teachers are eligible including primary and secondary school teachers, higher education teachers, early years teachers and special educational needs teachers in the UK. The Teacher of the Year competition runs until the 31st August 2024 and the winning teacher will be announced in September 2024.

The teacher who receives the most votes will be crowned as Teacher of the Year in the national competition. The Teacher of the Year, and their school, will each win a £500 Town & City Gift Card, such as the Chichester Gift Card. One person who nominated the Teacher of the Year will also win a £250 gift card.

Helen Marshall, CEO and Chair of Chichester BID, said: “We’re thrilled to see the nominations flowing in for teachers and schools from across Chichester in this national Teacher of the Year competition. The nomination for Mrs Wilcock is a fitting tribute for an extraordinary 30 year career. Every nomination in the Teacher of the Year competition counts as one vote for that teacher, so please keep voting for the teacher you think deserves to take the crown.”

Miconex’s local gift cards can be spent with local businesses, encouraging a ‘shop local’ ethos and locking spend into local economies.

Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “The Teacher of the Year competition is designed to celebrate and recognise the teachers like Mrs Wilcock who go above and beyond for their pupils, their school and their community. As we approach the end of the school year, what better way to say thank you to a special teacher than nominating them to be Teacher of the Year.”

The Teacher of the Year competition is sponsored by group collecting platform GiftRound. Founded in 2018, GiftRound gives people an easy way to collect money for various occasions, including end of term gifts. Town & City Gift Cards are available to buy on the GiftRound store.

Craig Forsythe, CEO & founder at GiftRound, said: “We’re delighted to sponsor the Teacher of the Year competition so we can bring recognition to the many hard working teachers across the UK and Ireland. Teachers’ gifts are amongst the most popular collections on GiftRound so we know how appreciated teachers are by parents and children. We hope that people take this opportunity to nominate a teacher that has made a positive impact on their child’s education or their school community, and we look forward to celebrating with the winner of the Teacher of the Year in September.”

Nominate a teacher in the Teacher of the Year competition at teacheroftheyear.co.uk