Winstanley College teacher receives award from Cambridge University

A politics teacher from Winstanley College is to be presented with an ‘Inspiring Educator Award’ from Cambridge University.

David Cartwright was nominated by a former student, now studying at Cambridge, for his effort in supporting students to aim high and to apply to prestigious institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge.

His award nomination read: ‘David stood out as a teacher for this award due to the effort he put in to teaching students like myself, from underprivileged backgrounds. There were numerous times where he would take a lesson to educate us on what university options were available to us, and to show us that with the right support and hard work there was no reason why we shouldn’t have the same opportunities other students have. I was struggling with various health and personal issues and believed that I might not be able to go to university at all, so having this support is what made applying to Cambridge seem possible.’

The judging panel selected David as the winner of the ‘Reaching Cambridge Award’, which acknowledges the hard work and dedication put in to motivate and encourage students from UK state schools to apply to Cambridge.

David will attend an awards ceremony on 16th July at Cambridge University to receive his award and enjoy a celebratory meal at a Cambridge college the night before. He will be presented with an official certificate, and an award of £300 to spend on college resources.

Going forward, David will also become a member of the University of Cambridge Teachers and Advisors Network which will involve being a part of a forum to discuss how the university can best support the chances of future students in their applications to Cambridge.

David commented: ‘It was a wonderful surprise to receive notification of the award. It is a pleasure to support students in their aspirations and find opportunities for improving prospects. I am looking forward to receiving the award and becoming part of a network which can further increase opportunities for students especially those from underprivileged backgrounds.’