A dedicated media lecturer at Stratford-upon-Avon College is being rewarded for her outstanding teaching with a nomination for a national film award.
Sarah Downing, who has been teaching at the College for 11 years, was shortlisted in the Educator of the Year category for the Into Film Awards 2018. This year’s awards received hundreds of entries from across the UK and Sarah was one of only three finalists shortlisted in her category.
Commenting on her nomination, Stratford resident Sarah said: “I’m proud to be nominated for the Educator of the Year category because I share Into Film’s philosophy of promoting the importance of film in education. I’m an ambassador for Into Film; ambassadors meet regularly to discuss its plans and prepare resources that can be used by teachers in classrooms throughout the country.”
Sarah’s commitment to her learners has seen her A Level Film students’ film criticism flourish and their reviews of the latest cinematic releases published regularly. A firm believer in the importance of Media as a subject for students, she is delighted that the College’s wide range of media courses – soon to be further enhanced with the launch of BA Film Studies and BA in Animation – caters for all learning styles and offers an industry-level experience.
And as an advocate of film, she welcomes the shift in focus its HND Creative Media course has undergone over the past year, with more emphasis on film narrative: “We listened to feedback from the students and they were very excited to produce their own films and write their own fiction scripts.”
Sarah is proud of the fact her students are inspired by the many contacts she has within the industry – professionals who are able to pass on their experiences of making films and producing television. “I’m delighted that the work I have completed to engage with industry professionals, as a way of enhancing and enriching my students’ learning, has been recognised with this nomination.”
Into Film is a charity which promotes the use of film as an educational tool in schools throughout the UK. Attended by film industry stars and professionals, this year’s award ceremony will take place at the BFI Southbank, London on Tuesday 13th March.
We wish Sarah the very best of luck!
