A TEACHER who has played a significant role in helping her students' mental health has been honoured with an award.

Charlotte Condon has been crowned South Essex College's Access to HE Tutor of the Year 2021 at the Gateway Qualifications at a recent awards ceremony.

Charlotte teaches Access to HE Diploma (Business Management) at South Essex College and was nominated for her uplifting energy in the classroom and the ability to go the extra mile for her students.

The Gateway Qualifications Access to HE Tutor of the Year Awards is an annual award that runs during the academic year. It encourages students from colleges across the country, who are currently studying for an Access to HE Diploma, to nominate their Access to HE tutors for the award.

She received a variety of nominations, with one student saying: "Charlotte has been a really engaging tutor in classes, really making online learning easy and enjoyable. Online learning during the pandemic was far less stressful than it could have been."

Another student praised her on her ability to connect on an emotional level, and said: "I'm not sure she knows it, but Charlotte has helped my mental health, she has such a way with words, and an uplifting energy!"

Charlotte was overwhelmed by her win and said: "It's really touching to know that my learners really appreciate all the effort I put in to make their year of online learning enjoyable.

"I knew some were struggling with their mental health in lockdown so kept a really close eye on them but I didn't fully appreciate how much the structure of the course and the fun we had in class was really helping. They all really helped me too, those long, dark days of the January lockdown were not easy."

Carol Snape, CEO of Gateway Qualifications, said: "At Gateway Qualifications we pride ourselves on recognising not only the journey a learner takes to reach their chosen destination but also the dedication and commitment shown by the teaching staff to ensure they reach it!

"This is why we introduced the Access to HE Tutor of the Year Awards to give learners the opportunity to applaud the unsung heroes who give so much to them."

To learn more about the Gateway Qualifications visit: ]L]https://www.gatewayqualifications.org.uk/ [L+]Awarding Organisation for Apprenticeships, HE Diplomas & ESOL (gatewayqualifications.org.uk). [.L] If you would like to learn about the Access to Higher Education provision at South Essex College, visit: www.southessex.ac.uk/access.