INSPIRATIONAL TEACHER CATEGORY SPONSORED BY BLACKBURN WITH DARWEN COUNCIL

NAME – Safa Marwa

AGE: 36

SCHOOL - Sir John Thursby Community College

ADDRESS - Eastern Avenue, Burnley

NO OF PUPILS - 1050

MISSION/VISION STATEMENT – Everyone Matters, Working in Partnership

THIS nomination was so heartfelt the judges felt that Safa Marwa was a standout winner in this category.

Judges heard about her commitment and enthusiasm and how she had gone the extra mile by providing courses and group work for pupils’ parents enabling them to help, support and understand their children’s school life and educational achievements.

She was nominated by one of the students, Levi Broadbent, 13.

“He told me he’d nominated me but I did not think about it really. When I heard I’d won I said ‘What!’ So exciting.”

Levi talked of how: “Miss Marwa brings a shine and hope to everyone’s life. Her determination and belief in us and our families makes us move forward in life. She is our confidence and she is our power to learn. She is our parents’ inspiration. She has a lot of energy and willpower. She never lets anyone down and always finds a solution for everything. We all love Miss Marwa and she is our community past, present and future. She says to us. ‘It’s never too late for education. Carry on, keep trying and never give up'!”

Safa’s role at the school started when her son, now 17, was attending there so and she started doing some interpreting for the Bangla and Urdu communities.

“I was a single mum and I had lost a lot of confidence, then I realised I could do a lot for these parents,” she said.

About 10 years ago she started running English language classes for parents and followed them up with childcare, health and social care courses amongst many others.

“The majority are Asian and ethnic minority parents here. If the parents learn then they can support their children at home,” she says. And it’s worked. Every time she advertises a class she says she gets inundated by people wanting to attend.

Now Safa, from Burnley, wants to continue her work and also help out more at a local women’s refuge. “I want to develop that. There’s quite a lot I can do for women who are suffering from domestic violence,” she said.