Teacher of the Year in a Primary School

London pride

Teaching in an East End primary school with children from 27 different countries is no mean feat, but John Crace finds that Nina Panayis wouldn't have it any other way

Like most Manchester United fans, Nina Panayis is a Londoner through and through. "I did choose to do my teacher training up in Manchester because of the football, though," she laughs. "I was asked if I wanted to stay on another year to convert my teaching certificate into a degree, but I had what I came for and I wanted to go home."

That was back in 1972 and - holidays apart - she has hardly left the capital since. Indeed, she has barely strayed out of the East End and it's for her work at Godwin junior school, little more than a stone's throw from her home near Wanstead Flats, that she has become the winner of the award for teacher of the year in a primary school.

Her early teaching career was centred around Waltham Forest and Leyton, and all was going just fine until she discovered she was pregnant with triplets. "It was a hell of a shock," she admits, "and I ended up taking a 10-year maternity leave." But not a total break. Panayis became a familiar figure in the community as she walked her children to Godwin junior school, and she soon came to the notice of the head.

"It was back in the days before there were central agencies for supply teachers," she says, "and the school secretary used to beckon to me over the railings if they were a member of staff short. If I was free, I'd go in and teach."

By 1990, though, Panayis felt the need for a more permanent arrangement. "The kids were growing up, the national curriculum was about to come on line and I felt that if I didn't get back into full-time teaching pretty soon, I'd be past my sell-by date," she says. So when a full-time job came up, her application found its way to the top of the head's intray.

And she has been there ever since. She is now the assistant head and teaches year 5, but over the years she has taught years 3, 4 and 6, as well as being the school's leading maths teacher. She also led the team that won Godwin beacon status and has developed the school into a centre of excellence for 10 beacon areas.

And that's just her in-school CV. Outside, she works part-time as a numeracy consultant for Newham; works with a partner school that is struggling; is part of a research team at Homerton College, Cambridge, studying boys' achievement; and has helped develop strong links with Mona Heights primary school in Kingston, Jamaica.

It's exhausting just cataloguing the achievements, so what's it like to live them? "I tend to get in at seven in the morning and generally leave about 6.30 in the evening," she says, before rushing to reassure me as she notices the blood drain from my face. "You mustn't get the impression I'm some kind of martyr. I get in early because that's the best time to do my preparation as there is no one else around to distract me. When I'm at home, I make a point of not working and trying to relax."

Which Panayis freely admits is not something she finds easy. Her husband is in the rag trade and in the few hours she isn't in school, she is often to be found helping out friends putting on fashion shows. "I suppose the only time I really unwind is when we're out of London."

But it's what Panayis enjoys and she is not the only one to reap the benefits. Godwin is a true inner-city primary school, with kids from 27 different countries speaking 32 different languages. In some schools, the difficulties this can bring are often an excuse for failure; at Godwin, they make a virtue of them. The teaching staff work hard to ensure the curriculum is accessible to everyone, and the Sats results speak for themselves, with many kids achieving level 4.

"I know that Sats aren't everything," Panayis says, "but you can't have children leaving school not knowing how to read and write. We have high expectations of all our children and if they can't achieve level 4 we want them to achieve as best they can. I think all the staff took more pleasure from a child with learning difficulties who got a level 3 in science than from any of the other results. It was unexpected and a fantastic achievement.

"The real success story, though, is that we have helped create a school that is genuinely part of the community. We run classes to help parents support their children's learning and the PTA doesn't just run events in the school, it also holds them in the high street and the kids raise money for the local hospice.

"It's a local school that local people want to come to. I'm now teaching the children of children I taught when I first came here, and if I'm not careful I'll be teaching my own grandchildren."

The feeling of community doesn't just extend to the kids. Panayis is the first to pay tribute to the other members of staff who have helped create a family atmosphere. A job at Godwin is something highly prized. Teachers tend to leave only if they are offered a promotion; most keep their feet firmly under the table.

Extraordinarily for an inner-London school, Godwin has no NQTs or agency staff - there just hasn't been the turnover. It makes the remaining staff more expensive to keep on, but the head and the LEA seem to think it's worth it.

Success has brought its own rewards. Godwin's reputation means it is usually first in line for new initiatives, such as Creative Partnerships, and the staff and the kids are only too happy to lap them up. But it's still the simple things that keep Panayis in the job. "I get older each year," she says, "but the kids stay the same age and I love it when they make me think. You can go into a lesson expecting it to go in one direction, but one comment from a child can divert you into something more interesting you'd never considered."

It's not all roses, though. Like most teachers, Panayis is fed up with the increasing burden of paperwork expected of her. And you also have to question her ability to teach geography. "Our four children went to Godwin and I've been teaching there for 13 years," Panayis shrugs. "But my husband still isn't quite sure of the way to the school." It's nice to know there's still room for improvement.

The judges say

Her greatest strength was her communication skills, which saw her able to work successfully with every adult and child connected with the school. Nina Panayis is a wonderful mentor and role model for teachers entering the profession. She was a particularly strong advocate for teaching in London and one young teacher cited working with her as her main reason for moving from the north-east to work in the capital. All staff said they looked to her for inspiration.

Regional winners

Sharon Witt, South, Swanmore CE primary, Southampton;
Christopher Dyson, North, Five Lanes primary, Leeds;
Jim Matthews, Northern Ireland, St Joseph's primary, Crumlin;
Stephen Murphy, West Midlands, Cherry Orchard primary, Worcester;
Bernie Powell, East Midlands, Uppingham CE primary, Oakham;
Jo Paylor-Sykes, South-west, All Saints Marsh CE primary, Newton Abbot;
Karen Pannett, North-east, Montalbo primary, Barnard Castle;
Meryl Blackburn, North-west, Chorlton Park primary, Chorlton cum Hardy;
Pam Howell, West, Soudley primary, Gloucester;
Rebecca Clevett, South-east, Meridian primary, Peacehaven;
Susan Ralph, Wales, George Street nursery & primary, Pontypool;
Judy Hilton, East, Little Waltham CE primary, Chelmsford.

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