Teacher-in-School Pilot Bursary

Scheme launches to promote Orwell studies

November 29 2019 The Orwell Society is to embark on a pioneering new project to educate young people about the life and works of George Orwell through a Teacher-in-School Bursary worth £1,250.

Having received and judged applications from prospective bursary applicants, the Society selected teachers from schools in Wigan and South Shields, towns which each hold a significance themselves to the life and writing of George Orwell and his first wife Eileen Blair (née O’Shaughnessy).

A primary school teacher from Wigan and a secondary school teacher from South Tyneside have been selected by The Orwell Society to take part in the Teacher-in-School Bursary (TISB) pilot. They will each receive a total sum of £750 in three stages, over a period of eight months, to enable them to plan, put into action and write a report on a special Orwell teaching project at their school. Each of the teacher’s respective schools will also be awarded £500 over the course of the scheme for the purchase of books or visits to sites of Orwell interest.

The recipients, who will soon begin the special projects supported by The Orwell Society bursary, are Danielle Hayward, a teacher from St Mark’s CE Primary School, Wigan, and Jane Wild, assistant head of English at St Wilfred’s R.C College in South Shields.

Danielle Haywardis planning to introduce her Year 6 studentsto George Orwell’s Road to Wigan Pier along with selected other writings, and to explore links to the locality of Wigan.

She said:”We feel incredibly privileged to be a part of the first year of this bursary. It is a fantastic opportunity to teach the pupils in our school not only about an extraordinary writer, but also about the area they live in. As the nearest located school to Wigan Pier, we hope to give the pupils a real connection to their own local history.

Meanwhile in South Shields, Jane Wild is focusing on the life and writings of Eileen Blair (née O’Shaughnessy) who grew up in this part of the country, in parallel with a selection of Orwell’s work, drawing links and parallels with our times.

Jane Wild said: “At St Wilfrid’s we’re absolutely delighted to have been offered the Orwell Society TISB. This year we’ve changed our scheme of work re: Animal Farm with Year 8 -to accommodate reference to and exploration of the life of Eileen Blair (linked to the locality of South Shields) as well as Orwell.

“Our Orwell Project will also extend into next school year when we hope to explore Orwell’s wider writings.”

Both teachers will share interim reports on their projects with The Orwell Society, and in May 2020 their full reports on their projects will be published on the Society’s website, together with detailed schemes of work.

The scheme has the backing of the chief executives and education officers of both Wigan and South Tyneside education authorities.

*Editors Notes*

For all media enquiries please contact: •Benedict Cooper, communications officer for the Orwell Society, on ben@benedictcooper.co.uk or +44(0)7973 943 246.

*