Mentor award acclaim for Walsall College academics

Three academic staff members from Walsall College have received awards for their expertise and dedication to mentoring the next generation of FE lecturers.

Amy Bradley, Emma Paulley and Thomas Ruston were recognised in the University of Wolverhampton’s Initial Teacher Education Mentor Awards led by the School of Education & Psychology. Their awards for FE PGCE Mentor of the Year showcased their commitment to guiding the university’s PGCE and Certificate in Education students with subject knowledge, pastoral care and encouragement.

Sarah Cattell, Workforce Development and Innovation Manager at the college said: “Every year, our lecturers and academic staff give their time generously to demonstrate outstanding teaching practice and provide opportunities for continuous professional development.

“It’s fantastic that both their mentees and the university have chosen to commend Amy, Emma and Thomas for helping to shape the skills of our sector’s future faces, while also demonstrating the positive influence mentors can provide through their experience, guidance and friendship.

“We are grateful to the University of Wolverhampton for championing our colleagues in this way. As we prepare to embark on a new mentoring scheme this year, we know there will be many more success stories to come, resulting in further cause for celebration.”

Amy, a Quality Development Coach said: “It’s incredibly rewarding to be part of someone’s journey into the profession and to help them build confidence and skills along the way. Advice I often shared was to ‘Be authentic in your teaching—your passion and personality are your greatest tools.’ Learners respond best when they feel a genuine connection, and being true to yourself helps build trust and engagement in the classroom.”

She added: “I’ve learned just as much from my mentees as they have from me, and that reciprocal learning will continue to shape my future work.”

Emma, a Lecturer in Creative Media said: “I really enjoy sharing my craft with others and embedding good habits into new teachers. And I love seeing mentees develop their own style of teaching. Each mentee is different, so they need developing in different ways. I like to have a strong rapport with a mentee and build on their skill set.

Emma continued: “Mentoring has allowed me to think more about my own practice and the methods and strategies I embed unconsciously. I find mentoring so rewarding, much like teaching as you can see the mentees grow and develop over the course of a year.”

Thomas Rushton, a Lecturer in Maths said: “As a mentor, I valued building trust and seeing my mentee’s confidence and skills develop over time. I focused on listening carefully and encouraged them to stay curious and embrace challenges as learning. In turn, mentoring gave me new insights that have strengthened my ability to guide and inspire others effectively.”