Headteacher from alternative provision school Evolve, has gained national recognition for his groundbreaking work supporting school refusers, by being named as a finalist in the prestigious Pearson National Teaching Awards.

Headteacher Robert Bell is one of just a handful of teachers across the country shortlisted for the Excellence in Special Needs Education category.

Evolve is pioneering research into how some children interpret and access information both through sound and vision. It conducts processing assessments for all students, aiming to identify and address challenges that may affect their ability to engage with the curriculum effectively. This commitment to understanding each student's unique needs has contributed to a remarkable increase in attendance from 18% on average before they joined the school to 82% after.

Mr Bell’s innovative approach also includes addressing factors such as sleep patterns, planning the timetable around students’ emotions, not just curriculum content, and incorporating outdoor education. Families are invited into school to learn about emotional wellbeing alongside their children and staff, and training is extended to the wider community.

The Pearson National Teaching Awards was founded in 1998 by Lord Puttnam to recognise the life-changing impact an inspirational teacher, like Mr Bell, can have on the lives of the young people they work with.

Finalists will find out if they have received a Bronze or Silver certificate on National Thank a Teacher Day, June 19th and Gold winners will be announced in November and will be invited to appear on the BBC’s The One Show.

Mr Bell is no stranger to The One Show having appeared on the programme last year for his “life-changing” work supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing.

A spokesperson for Pearson, said: “We are delighted that Robert Bell has been shortlisted as a Finalist in the Excellence in Special Needs Education category in The Pearson National Teaching Awards 2024.  We will be proudly celebrating him and all our colleagues on National Thank a Teacher Day, June 19th when all the results will be announced. We wish Robert the best of luck for judging.”

Michael, CEO of Consilium Academies, said: “I know our students and their families are very grateful for all his hard work and the time he takes personally to understand their individual needs. Nominating him for this award is our way of saying thank you. We believe he can go further and get the silver and gold award too, and we are behind him every step of the way.”

Robert Bell, Head of alternative provision school Consilium Evolve, said: “It’s an honour to have been nominated, let alone be shortlisted as a finalist. I feel incredibly humbled as it’s a team effort and none of it would be possible without my amazing colleagues.

 “As a team we see, feel and hear the struggles students are going through. My own school experience prompted me to change how we educate students because it didn’t work for me.

"I’ve always believed there’s another way. I’ve spent years developing what my idea of education looks like, crossing the boundary between mainstream and alternative provision.

“Schools like Evolve have typically not had the recognition they deserve, and I want to change that as we’re supporting young people who would ordinarily slip through the net."