A Penrith man has been named among the top teachers in the country.
Mark Bailey, 44, is one of the National Teachers of the Year in the Pearson National Teaching Awards.
He has been presented with a silver award, and will find out in November if he has won a gold.
Mark is deputy headteacher of Netherhall School, in Maryport.
He has been at the school for 19 years and joined as a history teacher, leading the department before becoming deputy head in 2017.
His nomination said: “Throughout his substantial and distinguished 19 years of service to the school and community, he has instilled an absolute love of learning and a culture of belief and success in all of his students.
“His relentless positivity and encouraging attitude has led to history being consistently the most popular subject.”
As well as his teaching, he was also praised for his contribution to extracurricular opportunities for children.
He has organised and led over 25 international trips for students, including repeated educational trips to the World War One battlefields in France and Belgium, and sixth form visits to New York City, Berlin and Auschwitz, often with over 70 students.
He works with a local charitable trust that provides financial support for children from disadvantaged backgrounds to have culturally enriching experiences.
Mr Bailey is the manager for the first football XI and is one of the organisers of the school choir.
He has introduced a comprehensive programme of extracurricular opportunities of work experience, guest speakers, past students and local employers.
Judges at Pearson said: “Mark is an inspiring teacher who has been central to the transformation of Netherhall School.
“His consistently outstanding teaching, relentless positivity and determination to secure the very best learning experience and outcomes for all students has transformed the lives of innumerable young people.”
Mark helped the West Cumbrian school improve its Ofsted rating from inadequate to good in 18 months — at the time, the fastest turnaround in the north of England.
Mark said: “I am absolutely delighted to have won this award. Not only for me, but for the whole school, the community and my home town of Penrith.
“It’s amazing to be recognised and it is humbling, too.”
Mark’s mother Val, father David and sister Claire also live in Penrith.
