Where?

Jenny teaches RE at Albion High School in Salford and co-ordinates the Asdan PSD (personal and social development) course.

Why?

Last year Jenny piloted a new PSD course with 10 gifted and talented pupils from Year 9, in collaboration with educational charity Asdan. The course is an accredited PSHE qualification. Jenny led one of the first groups of pupils in the country to take the course and, thanks to her guidance, all 10 passed at level 2, which is worth a B at GCSE.

PSD has a strong focus on encouraging pupils to take responsibility for their own learning. Jenny’s group met after school, with much of the work being undertaken by the pupils at home and outside the class.

The fact that the young people completed this course largely in their own time is testament to Jenny’s infectious enthusiasm and her ability to inspire and motivate pupils.

Jenny is outgoing, lively and always has a smile on her face. She nurtures pupils’ individuality, helping them to play to their strengths and produce work that is of a high quality. She avoids a prescriptive approach, acting as more of a facilitator or guide, taking the time to sit with each pupil and talk through their plans and goals.

Nominated by?

Jenni Robertson, development co-ordinator for curriculum at Asdan. She says: “Jenny truly is the model to follow in PSHE education. The work produced by her pupils last year is of such a high quality that we use it in our PSD training materials. The Government recently announced that PSHE would be compulsory in all schools from 2011 and Jenny is already ahead of the game and meeting the new criteria.”

Thanks to Asdan, an educational charity developed and managed by teachers, for sending in this week’s Rising Star. If you would like to nominate someone for this slot, email features@tes.co.uk with 300 words and a picture.