Natasha Paling from Balfour Primary School set up The Pantry while training as a teacher, making it a safe, non-shameful place for families to get food, uniform and other essentials
A Brighton teacher who helps struggling local families with clothes and food, raises money in charity fun runs and regularly dons fancy dress to read to children at local events has been nominated in a national Teacher of the Year competition from Miconex, sponsored by GiftRound.
Multiple parents and colleagues have nominated reception teacher Natasha Paling from Balfour Primary School for the national award, with £1250 in Brighton Gift Cards as a possible prize. The Brighton Gift Card can be spent with over 50 businesses locally.
Louise Batten said: “Natasha is a local legend in our area because she is so active in the local community, such as setting up The Pantry. There can be a stigma attached to accessing a food bank, so calling it The Pantry was a considered action by Natasha to make it a place where people can go to get the things they need, from food to uniform.
“There is even an aisle in The Pantry that is like the ‘middle of Lidl’ with a different theme each month, like sports clothes or dressing up. Natasha arranged for a mum at the school who is an illustrator to create beautiful illustrations on the windows. It’s a nice place to go and everyone is welcome, it doesn’t have to be because you’re on a low income.
“Teaching isn’t just a job for Natasha, it’s a vocation. She dresses up for so many occasions and even does book readings at local events. Natasha will always go out of her way for her pupils and her community and is so thoughtful. As an example, when we went on a trip to New Zealand, Natasha prepared a pack of activities for our daughter all about New Zealand for her to do on the plane.
“She really understands what it’s like to be a parent, so if your child has had a tricky day, Natasha will often call you and talk it through rather than leaving it to the end of the day when there are lots of other children to get safely home. In reception, it’s children’s first experience of school and thanks to Natasha, it’s such a positive one. They all love her.
“The Brighton Gift Card is an amazing prize. If Natasha won, we’d all encourage her to treat herself for a change!”
Emma McRobb said: “Not only is she the most wonderful teacher ever, who cares so much about every child and will know the names of all the children in the school, she will also stop and talk to you outside of school. Mrs Palin dresses up so amazingly every dress-up day and is just pure joy! She also shops for the school’s pantry, and has made it a safe, non-shameful place for people to get vital goods. Mrs Palin makes sure no one feels silly about going there and also gets stuff donated like cots, televisions and will drop it off to the person in need. She is an insanely brilliant person and teacher. Every school needs a Mrs Palin.”
Ester M added: “Natasha has been the most wonderful and nurturing teacher for my little boy when he started reception, always making him feel special and cared for. She is an incredible force for good for the community, running The Pantry to help families with clothes and food, and has the biggest heart!”
It is free for people to nominate their Teacher of the Year and all types of teachers are eligible including primary and secondary school teachers, higher education teachers, early years teachers and special educational needs teachers in the UK. The Teacher of the Year competition runs until the 31st August 2024 and the winning teacher will be announced in September 2024.
Alan Gunn is headteacher at Balfour Primary School and commented: “Natasha is an amazing teacher and makes such a positive difference to so many of our families, she always goes the extra mile to ensure our children and families feel supported, listened to and part of our Balfour family.”
The teacher who receives the most nominations will be crowned as Teacher of the Year in the national competition. The Teacher of the Year, and their school, will each win a £500 Town & City Gift Card, such as the Brighton Gift Card. One person who nominated the Teacher of the Year will also win a £250 local gift card.
Brilliant Brighton, also known as Brighton Business Improvement District, launched the Brighton Gift Card alongside Brighton based Tillo in 2023. Gavin Stewart, CEO at Brilliant Brighton, said: “This is a heart-warming nomination from a teacher that clearly does a huge amount for her pupils, her school and her community, and it is fantastic to see Natasha being recognised for her efforts.”
Miconex’s local gift cards can be spent with local businesses, encouraging a ‘shop local’ ethos and locking spend into local economies.
Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “Teacher of the Year is designed to shine a light on teachers like Natasha who are a Force For Good, positively impacting people, places and communities. Every nomination at teacheroftheyear.co.uk counts as one vote for that teacher. It is the teacher who has the most nominations who will win, so please keep voting for the teacher you think deserves to win.”
The Teacher of the Year competition is sponsored by group collecting platform GiftRound. Founded in 2018, GiftRound gives people an easy way to collect money for various occasions, including end of term gifts. Town & City Gift Cards are available to buy on the GiftRound store.
Craig Forsythe, CEO & founder at GiftRound, said: “We’re delighted to sponsor the Teacher of the Year competition so we can bring recognition to the many hard working teachers across the UK and Ireland.
Teachers’ gifts are amongst the most popular collections on GiftRound so we know how appreciated teachers are by parents and children. We hope that people take this opportunity to nominate a teacher that has made a positive impact on their child’s education or their school community, and we look forward to celebrating with the winner of the Teacher of the Year in September.”
Nominate a teacher in the Teacher of the Year competition at teacheroftheyear.co.uk
