Portsmouth's superhero hampers have landed at a school near you!
A 'dynamic duo' of schools hosted a special hamper giving ceremony in recognition of their staff going above and beyond for families. Cliffdale Primary Academy and Copner Primary Academy were chosen by sponsors to receive their hamper in person with council leaders also in attendance.
School staff gathered at both sites to mark the occasion with Mike Stoneman, deputy director, education and Sarah Daly, director, children, families and education at Portsmouth City Council presenting hampers.
This is part of our efforts to thank Portsmouth's education superheroes across 62 schools in the city, funded by Caterlink, Solent Academies Trust, Tesco and UK Flyers.
Sarah Daly, director, children, families and education at Portsmouth City Council said:
"Every year, we recognise the amazing contribution of school staff in different ways. This year, we've asked parents and carers in the city to share a special thank you message with us - so we can shine a light on the city's education superheroes.
Sarah Daly, director, children, families and education
"I had the pleasure to meet some of those staff at the event and present a hamper to them in recognition of their work. This is a small token of our appreciation. We want school staff to know how much they are valued by us and their community."
In January, Teach Portsmouth asked parents/carers to thank someone in their school for going the extra mile for them. Over 600 thank you messages were received with each one printed on to special posters and placed inside each hamper.
Ruth Worswick, head teacher at Arundel Court Primary School hosted a special thank you tea party for staff in March before the deadline for thank you messages. Their school led the way with 45 individual messages for staff. Ruth said:
"Ever since the initiative launched, we encouraged our families and staff to thank people who have supported them in unique ways. This hamper and the thank you messages inside have given everyone a little boost before the end of term.
"We will display these wonderful thank you messages in our reception area - so everyone can see the impact our teams make."
Ruth Worswick, head teacher
A second ceremony was held at Cliffdale Primary Academy attended by representatives from Solent Academies Trust.
Charlotte Bleacher, a teacher at Redwood Park Academy, which is a Solent Academies Trust school, accepted the hamper after being thanked by a parent/carer.
In the message, the parent/carer said: "Thank you very much for all that you do for my child. Also Dawn and Tom. You all go above and beyond as their teachers. We appreciate it very much!" In response to the surprise, Charlotte said:
"This is totally unexpected and a wonderful surprise. I didn't know I had been thanked until a colleague mysteriously invited me to the ceremony to accept the hamper on behalf of the school.
Charlotte Bleacher, teacher
"While I know the message is for the three of us, I am part of a huge team of teaching and support staff who work tirelessly to educate pupils - they deserve recognition too. It's an absolute pleasure to work for Redwood Park Academy and teach the amazing pupils who attend. I would like to thank the family who put me and my team forward – I am grateful for the recognition; it was genuinely an uplifting feeling. "
The 'thank a school superhero' initiative is one way we reward and recognise individuals who go above and beyond in their communities.
Inside each hamper, it was revealed that the Teach Portsmouth Awards will return to Portsmouth Guildhall on Thursday 12 June 2025. This is the south's largest education awards ceremony for the profession and will celebrate school and college staff across 12 award categories.
Celebrating Portsmouth's education workforce
This year, we're celebrating Portsmouth's education workforce in different ways. We're also recognising those who have worked in the city's schools for 20 years or more. Visit the Teach Portsmouth celebrates page to learn more about how we're showcasing these incredible achievements.
Callum Murphy