Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

London teacher among global top 10 for $1m award

A north London teacher has made it to the list of 10 finalists who are in the running for a multi-million dollar teaching price.

Andria Zafirakou, a teacher at Alperton Community School in Brent, is a strong contender for the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize, an annual award that recognises outstanding contribution made by a teacher.


Brent is one of the most ethnically diverse places in the country, and Zafirakou's efforts to ensure all her students feel included has been lauded both by the teaching fraternity as well as parents.

But it has not been an easy task. Students at her school spoke a wide range of languages including Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil and Portuguese, and Zafirakou has learnt basic greetings in as many as 35 languages as a step to connect with her pupils.

It has also helped her interact with parents who do not speak English.

On Tuesday, Bill Gates announced the nominations and paid tribute to the finalists, saying a great teacher could be "the most important factor" in whether students get a great education.

The Microsoft co-founder said: "When you think about what drives progress and improvement in the world, education is like a master switch - one that opens up all sorts of opportunities for individuals and societies.

"And research has shown that having a great teacher can be the most important factor that determines whether students get a great education."

Gates said all the finalists have proven their abilities to inspire and help students.

"Just as important, these teachers are leaders who have innovated in the classroom and mentored their colleagues," he added. "They have demonstrated the kind of collaboration - teachers and schools working together - that can give all students the opportunity to get a great education."

The other finalists are from Turkey, South Africa, Colombia, Philippines, United States, Brazil, Belgium, Australia and Norway.

"Such an honour to be selected alongside these incredible teachers. Thank you so much @TeacherPrize#teachersmatter#inspired," Zafirakou tweeted shortly after the nominees were announced.

The award will be presented at a ceremony in Dubai on March 18.

More For You

Knife crimes

Knife-enabled crimes include cases where a blade or sharp instrument was used to injure or threaten, including where the weapon was not actually seen.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Knife crime in London accounts for a third of national total: ONS

KNIFE-RELATED crime in London made up almost a third of all such offences recorded in England and Wales in 2024, with the Metropolitan Police logging 16,789 incidents, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday.

This amounts to one offence every 30 minutes in the capital and represents 31 per cent of the 54,587 knife-enabled crimes reported across England and Wales last year. The total number marks a two per cent rise from 53,413 offences in 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer and Modi

Starmer and Modi shake hands during a bilateral meeting in the sidelines of the G20 summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brazil, on November 18, 2024.

Getty Images

Starmer calls Modi over Kashmir attack; expresses condolences

PRIME MINISER Keir Starmer spoke to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning following the deadly attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam region that killed 26 people on Tuesday.

According to a readout from 10 Downing Street, Starmer said he was horrified by the devastating terrorist attack and expressed deep condolences on behalf of the British people to those affected, their loved ones, and the people of India. The two leaders agreed to stay in touch.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Post Office Horizon

A Post Office van parked outside the venue for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry at Aldwych House on January 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Post Office spent £600m to keep Horizon despite plans to replace it: Report

THE POST OFFICE has spent more than £600 million of public funds to continue using the Horizon IT system, according to a news report.

Despite deciding over a decade ago to move away from the software, the original 1999 contract with Fujitsu prevented the Post Office from doing so, as it did not own the core software code, a BBC investigation shows.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

The prayer meet was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami

Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

Mahesh Liloriya

A PRAYER meet was held at the Gandhi Hall in the High Commission of India in London on Thursday (24) to pay respects to the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ rang out at the event which was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK  mini heatwave

Sunny conditions will bring early summer warmth

Getty

UK to see mini heatwave as temperatures climb towards 24 °c

The UK is set for a period of warmer weather in the coming days, with temperatures expected to rise significantly across parts of the country. According to the Met Office, a spell of dry and sunny conditions will bring early summer warmth, although it will fall short of the threshold for an official heatwave.

Temperatures in south-eastern and central England could reach 23°c to 24°c by Tuesday, around 10C above the seasonal average for some areas. The Met Office described this as a “very warm spell” rather than a heatwave, though the contrast with recent cooler weather will be noticeable.

Keep ReadingShow less