Sports teacher receives national award

A WGS teacher with almost 40 years service has been recognised in a prestigious national awards ceremony which took place at the home of English rugby. 

Mr John Johnson, Director of Sport at WGS was nominated in the Sports Teacher of the Year  category at the 7th Annual Aviva Daily Telegraph School Sport Matters National Awards. The ceremony took place at Twickenham on 3rd November.  

Mr Johnson was commended and came third overall  in the country – an accolade he is rightly proud of:
 
“I was certainly surprised to learn I had been nominated in this category, and then to be commended as one of the top three Sports Teachers  in the country was a fantastic honour.  It was a superb event  at Twickenham and I felt extremely privileged to have been amongst such esteemed colleagues from schools all across the UK.”

Mr Johnson was nominated by fellow sports teacher, Miss McAllister, who as a former student of the school remembers her now colleague as one her own sports teachers: “I nominated Mr Johnson because he has been such a supporter of sport, not only at the school, but throughout Wolverhampton and the wider region,  for nearly 40 years,” explains Miss McAllister.

“He has encouraged so many students over the years – including myself - to get involved in sport at all levels, whether for pure enjoyment or when representing their country.”

The Aviva Daily Telegraph School Sport Matters National Awards highlight the achievements of sport in schools and honour the best schools, teachers, teams and individuals in the country.  As well as the Teacher of the Year award, other categories include School Team of the Year and Student of the Year previous winners of which include Olympic diver Tom Daley and Paralympic gold medallist Eleanor Simmonds.

“WGS has been my only teaching post and it has been an absolute pleasure to teach here for all this time. I just feel privileged to have had such a fantastic 37 years teaching at such a remarkable school,” concludes Mr Johnson.

Wolverhampton Grammar School has a heritage stretching back 500 years, a heritage in which sport has always played an integral role.