Silver lining

Radclyffe School headteacher Hardial Hayer (left) receives his silver teaching award from chariman of governors Jim Greenwood.

AN Oldham headteacher who put his pupils before league tables has been named as one of the country's best.

Radclyffe School's Hardial Hayer has won Silver Teaching Award in the the national Pearson Teaching Awards.

He is one of five principals to receive the accolade in the secondary school headteacher of the year category.

The overall gold winner will now be announced at a ceremony at London's Guildhall on October 23.

Mr Hayer became head of the Chadderton secondary in 1998 when the school was split over two sites. It moved into a new £28 million building in Hunt Lane in 2008 and received the top grade of outstanding in its latest Ofsted report in December. It is one of only two outstanding high schools in Oldham and the inspectors described Mr Hayer as "inspirational".

They praised the school's "principled" decision to enter pupils early for GCSE maths and English and then let them do resits, even though their new grades did not count in league tables if they were better. Ofsted said the decision "was based on what was right for pupils" - a slap in the face for former Education Secretary Michael Gove who said resits devalued education.

At the time Mr Hayer said it has taken "moral courage" adding: "League tables do not mean anything to our children. What's

important to them is what they have learned and the sort of people they are going to be."

Jim Greenwood, chairman of governors at Radclyffe, said of the award: "This is a highlight of an absolutely fantastic year for all the school. Everything that has happened has done so because of Hardial's good judgment and foresight. He is really deserving of this award and is an inspiration."

The Pearson Teaching Awards were founded in 1999 to recognise the life-changing impact of great teachers. Ten category winners will be announced at the final which will broadcast in the BBC programme Britain's Classroom Heroes.

Mr Hayer is also shortlisted for the headteacher of the year title at the Greater Manchester Schools Awards on July 8.

He added: "The Silver Teaching Award is for every member of staff at the school. What happens in the classroom day by day is key to our success, in the tone that the staff set. So I want to thank our brilliant members of staff, they make me really proud to be the headteacher at Radclyffe."