The German Embassy recognises Amanda Harper’s work at Ormiston Enterprise Academy!

Upon meeting Amanda Harper you cannot fail to realise that you have met a teacher who inspires all those around her.

It was without hesitation that Rayburn Tours approached Mr Eddie de Middelaer, Headmaster at Ormiston Enterprise Academy, to discuss a joint nomination for Amanda Harper at the German Teacher Awards 2012.

As head of department in a challenging school, where students are commonly found to under perform in Languages, Amanda has made it her aim to explore new ways to alter this ongoing trend.

Setting high aims for herself, she went about gaining the support of students and parents in running an educational trip to the Rhineland.

In a school where many students would not have had the opportunity to experience other countries, she organised a relentless schedule of fundraising for the trip to lower the costs to some of the parents – this was a huge success!

The school’s dream was realised when she travelled to the Rhineland with over 40 students, which was for most, a once-in-a-lifetime journey!

The result of this trip was that over two thirds of the students who travelled subsequently selected German as their language of choice for GCSE study. Amanda firmly attributes this success to the tour and the confidence that it instilled in her students.

Lee Perkins, Educational Tour Manager – Rayburn Tours

“We are thrilled for Amanda and Ormiston Entertprise Academy – it just goes to prove what can be achieved against all the odds. Hats off to Amanda; she knew what she wanted to achieve, was meticulous in her planning and wasn’t going to stop until she got there. The school and the students have all benefitted as a result of this! We feel privileged to have been handling her travel arrangements and working alongside her and the school in delivering significant learning opportunities outside the classroom!”

Amanda Harper

It’s a real commitment to fundraise the amount we do, but the results make it all worthwhile! The parents and children at the school have gotten firmly behind my initiative, which has allowed all involved to witness such significant improvements in the student’s language learning. Germany scratched the surface for us, then came Paris…and then who knows where next!”