The Guardian Award for Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School in London

St Edwards CE Comprehensive School

David Torn draws on his own experience of a difficult upbringing to inspire and encourage students.

He is also a larger-than-life character who enlivens his lessons with humour, and has been known to conga around the school with a blazer on his head and use rap to explain to students the complexities of British Liberal politics.

But while he often makes his students cry with laughter, he always expects them to work hard and do their absolute best. As one student puts it: “Mr Thorn can turn nothing into something and no-one into somebody.”

David is open about the abusive family circumstances he grew up in, and refuses to accept background as a reason for failure. He never gives up on anyone, and is always willing to tackle difficult situations. When he volunteered to take on a particularly difficult form group, he reduced the group’s lateness by two thirds in just two weeks.

He listens to students’ concerns, sets individual targets, and encourages classmates to support each other through imaginative systems of peer mentoring and ‘study buddy’ pairs, where a weaker student works with a stronger one. Students sometimes have to give up free time for these, but there are rarely complaints.

As Professional Tutor at the school he mentors new teachers, encouraging them to watch – and criticise – how he teaches. One colleague pays tribute to know he spotted her potential when she was a teaching assistant in her classroom, and encouraged to train as a teacher. He also provides strong leadership in the school’s history department.

Colleagues describe him as “the life, soul and heart” of the school”. As one says, “the students love him and I have to say staff also get the Torn effect, and we love him too.”