Martial arts, football, marathon runner, you name it, this Raynes Park teacher does it all...

Richard Harris, of Raynes Park High School, was hailed Secondary Teacher of the Year at The Pearson National Teaching Awards last week.

The super-skilled teacher was chosen out of thousands of nominations and was one of just 76 Silver award winners across the country.

He uses his passion for technology to inspire students to learn and update their skill set.

Besides his talent for technology, Richard has; represented Kent as a 5K runner, won the British National Jujitsu title and coached for Fulham Football Club.

He has also featured in publications as a 'star teacher' for the most prestigious educational academy in South Korea.

Wimbledon Times:

The Design and Technology teacher said: "I cannot stop smiling.

"Even being nominated for the ‘Secondary Teacher of the Year Award’ is an incredible honour- especially given the amazingly talented teachers in this field.

"To win against such strong competition is just amazing.

"I feel humble, but at the same time extremely proud too."

Speaking about his passion for technology he added: "I love playing with gadgets and discovering the latest design trends.

"What could be better than having the opportunity to pass on my passion to the students I teach?

"The feeling of seeing a young person understand a new concept and excel in a class is hugely gratifying."

Wimbledon Times:

Speaking about how he used technology in the pandemic, he added: "During lockdown, teachers explored technology in more depth.

"What could have been a roadblock, turned into an opportunity to use technology to our advantage.

"The use of various digital platforms to upload lesson content and using virtual teaching methods was actually quite fun.

"I even started to wonder if I would one day wear a virtual reality headset.

"Keeping the students motivated and curious was key to their return and allowing them to be hungry for more knowledge."

Richard is now in the running for one of just 14 Gold Awards later in the year.

For more information on Pearson's awards visit here