Sion was shortlisted from a record number of nominations and will join the other winning teachers from across England, Wales and Northern Ireland at the prestigious UK Ceremony which will be aired on BBC2 in the autumn.

To date the Pearson Teaching Awards has helped generate 100,000 nominations from pupils past and present, parents and a plethora of celebrities supporting the Awards such as Emma Thompson, Al Murray, Gaby Logan, Rupert Penry Jones and Kate Thornton. Each nomination is received in the form of an online Thank You message to a teacher who has made a real difference before each note of thanks is considered by the Pearson Teaching Awards judging panel.

This is what the judges and others had to say about Sion…

Described by one grateful parent as “the gold standard for teaching”, Sion was nominated for a Pearson Teaching Award by no less than 5 of his students, all keen to say how much Mr Jones’ passion and enthusiasm for History had inspired them to love his subject and motivated them to do their very best. 

His headteacher said of him, “many things could be said to describe Mr Jones, Head of History, Deputy Head of Year and Law teacher but they could never truly convey how valuable a member of staff he is to this school. Being such a successful teacher takes ability, dedication and enthusiasm which he has in abundance and can only be fully appreciated when you meet the person and see him in action. I can’t think of a more worth recipient of the Award for Secondary Teacher of the Year in Wales”.

Teaching Awards judges agree completely. They describe Sion as “an outstanding teacher, he is inspirational, enthusiastic and caring. He provides his students with a first class experience of History at all levels. He has empathy and humour and takes great pride and joy from his role as an educator. He also has a huge, well-deserved reputation for providing stimulating lessons and incredible examination results. Passionate about his subject, he is also passionate about his students’ well-being. 

Celebrating 13 years of recognition for the unsung heroes of education, the Pearson Teaching Awards will focus on finalists – headteachers, teachers, teaching assistants and school teams – from across Wales.

Sion Joneswas nominated for the Pearson Teaching Awards after receiving Thanks from pupils past and present and parents as part of Thank A Teacher Day which is held this year on June 20th. The Thank A Teacher campaign launched by The Pearson Teaching Awards recognises and celebrates the difference a teacher, teaching assistant or head teacher can make by asking pupils past and present, as well as parents to simply say thank you at www.thankateacher.co.uk