The PTI is delighted to announce the English Department at Thomas Tallis School as the winner of the Bernice McCabe Award 2026/27.
The department was recognised for its work to raise the profile of English across the school and celebrate the breadth of work taking place within the department. Through its continued involvement in The PTI’s Department Development Programme, the team has established ambitious and meaningful objectives to refine curriculum design, strengthen core teaching practices, and evaluate the impact of learning for students of all backgrounds and abilities.
The Bernice McCabe Award celebrates excellence in subject leadership in secondary schools, recognising departments that put high-quality subject teaching at the heart of the classroom. It is named in honour of Bernice McCabe OBE, the founding Co-Director of The PTI, who passed away in February 2019. Bernice was a passionate advocate for the transformative power of inspiring subject teaching.
Michelle Hopkins, Head of English at Thomas Tallis School, said: “We are thrilled to have won the PTI’s Bernice McCabe Award and proud that the collaborative efforts of our English department in developing an ambitious and rigorous English curriculum rooted in powerful knowledge have been recognised.”
Dr Cat Scutt MBE, CEO of The PTI, said: ‘The Bernice McCabe Award celebrates the exceptional teachers and departments who demonstrate the transformative power of great subject teaching. Thomas Tallis School’s English Department is a wonderful example of how subject leadership can champion a discipline and celebrate the expertise, creativity and commitment of teachers. We are delighted to recognise the department’s work in raising the profile of English and celebrating the breadth of work taking place across the department, and the impact this has on pupils.”
- Winner – English department, Thomas Tallis School, Greenwich
- Highly commended – English department, Hinchingbrooke School, Huntingdon
- Highly commended – PE department, Priory School, Lewes
The awards were judged by an esteemed panel comprising Dr Christine Counsell OBE (Chair), Dame Alison Peacock, Dr Helen Clarke and Rod MacKinnon.
Significant funding from Postcode Lottery players has enabled The PTI to support nominated and winning schools through the Bernice McCabe Award, providing them with the necessary skills, tools, and resources to deliver excellent lessons for their students.
Since 2018, Postcode Lottery players have raised more than £1,533,000 for The PTI, helping to enhance the educational experience of hundreds of thousands of young people across England and Wales.