Bury St Edmunds teacher Simon Clinch, of South Lee Prep School and Nursery, is named a Bronze Winner in the 2025 Pearson National Teaching Awards

A Bury St Edmunds teacher has described it as ‘an honour’ to receive a national award recognising his ‘exceptional hard work and dedication’ to enhancing digital learning experiences.

Simon Clinch, head of computing and digitally-enhanced learning at South Lee Prep School and Nursery, has been named a 2025 Bronze Winner in the Pearson National Teaching Awards.

The accolade was in the category of ‘Transformational Use of Digital Technology’ and he received a Bronze Winner lapel pin, a personal letter of recognition from the acclaimed author Sir Michael Morpurgo, president of the awards, and a certificate celebrating his achievements.

Mr Clinch’s school said the award was a testament to his ‘exceptional hard work and dedication, as well as the collective commitment of the school to enhancing digital learning experiences’.

He has led a significant transformation in digital learning at South Lee: under his guidance, a one-to-one device scheme has been introduced and technology has been seamlessly integrated across the curriculum. By working closely with colleagues, he has tailored digital tools to suit individual teaching styles, the school said.

Mr Clinch said: “It is an honour to receive this award. I am incredibly fortunate to work alongside such dedicated colleagues and enthusiastic pupils.

“This recognition reflects a whole-school commitment to reimagining how we teach and learn in a digital age. I look forward to continuing this journey as we equip our learners with the tools, confidence and creativity they need to thrive in the future.”

His initiatives, including the student-led Tech Agents and the Coding Hangout, have significantly boosted digital confidence, leadership and peer-to-peer learning across all year groups.

Tech Agents was an initiative set up post-pandemic when the school launched the 1:1 iPad scheme where a group of students act as ambassadors for digital learning in order to support their peers and teachers in the use of digital technology.

And Coding Hangout is a space where children of different ages, with an interest in coding, can come together to work on their own projects, bouncing ideas off each other and fostering collaborative working and pair-programming initiatives.

Speaking on National Thank a Teacher Day on June 18, headteacher Sarah Catchpole said: “This recognition is richly deserved. Mr Clinch has transformed the way we think about digital learning at South Lee.

“His vision, energy, and tireless commitment have inspired both staff and pupils to embrace new ideas with confidence and curiosity.

“This award is not only a celebration of his work, but also of the culture of innovation and excellence we strive to cultivate across the school.”

The award entry showcased a number of transformative digital projects, including exceptional pupil outcomes in the national Bebras Challenge, where three pupils placed in the top 10 per cent nationally, earning gold certificates, and a further twelve received distinctions.

A standout example highlighted in the application was the Year 5 ‘Little Cities’ project – a multi-disciplinary STEAM initiative in which pupils explored urban planning by designing and building their own towns. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics.

The children used tools such as iPads, CAD software, 3D printers and micro:bits (to develop coding) to construct scale models, code lighting sequences and programme autonomous robots to navigate their cities.

The school’s post-pandemic digital strategy was also highly commended.

Mr Clinch’s ‘outstanding’ work has also helped the school to become a finalist in the Muddy Stilettos Awards for Innovative Technology-Led Teaching.