Uxbridge College Travel & Tourism lecturer and section manager Michelle Bradley is celebrating after being selected as the winner of two awards in the London Teacher of the Year Awards 2020.

Michelle scooped not only FE College Academic Support Staff of the Year Award, but London FE Member of Staff of the Year Award.

She was recognised for supporting excellent attendance rates, learner engagement and success rates, as well as building strong employer links, and providing a great learning experience and career opportunities.

Michelle is a winner in the awards run by the KM Charity Team, part of Inspire Schools Educational Foundation, in which the top 25 teachers were selected from nominations from schools and colleges across London.

She was nominated by colleagues and by British Airways, who she works with to provide opportunities for students to gain real experience.

Michelle works with British Airways to organise guest speakers, as well as arranging three visits a year to their training centre at Heathrow, where students receive additional Cabin Crew training. She helps ensure the company hosts a stand each at the College’s annual careers fair, and has also taken part in their ‘train a teacher’ days where staff undertake work experience.

As the awards ceremony originally planned for the summer could not take place due to Coronavirus, Michelle received her trophies in the post and attended a virtual ceremony.

Michelle, who is also Section Manager Travel & Tourism at Uxbridge College, based in West London, said: “I was so shocked to have been nominated, let alone to have won two awards in the London Teacher of the Year Awards 2020! But it is a great honour, and I am incredibly happy to have this recognition of the work that I do. I put everything into what I do and get huge satisfaction out of seeing the Travel and Tourism professionals of the future progress on their journeys into industry - so getting an award as well really is the icing on the cake.”

Michelle previously worked as Cabin Crew for Virgin Atlantic, did a degree in Travel and Tourism management and worked as a Travel Agent in Thomas Cook. She played a leading role in setting up Cabin Crew training courses at the college, sourcing and designing the mock aircraft cabin on the college site in Uxbridge.

Inspire Schools Educational Foundation is a registered charity trading as KM Charity Team and Inspire Schools that delivers literacy, road safety and walk-to-school initiatives to support schools, families and children, as well as supporting the charitable sector by staging collaborative fundraising events.