Gallons of praise for prize-winning Telford headteacher
A Telford headteacher has been announced as the winner of the 2017 UK Farming Champion award, thanks to his links with a county farm.
Neil Satoor, the winner of the national award, chosen by the NFU and Farmer’s Weekly, has links with a farm at Leighton in Shropshire and “works tirelessly” to give young people a unique opportunity to learn about agriculture and food.
When Mr Satoor took over as headteacher of Wombridge Primary School in Telford in 2010, there had been 96 children excluded in the three years before he arrived and 17 assaults on staff in the previous 12 months alone.
But that has completely changed and the school now has a great relationship with Morrells Wood Farm, a family-run beef and sheep unit at Leighton, and farmer Derek Harper is on its governing body.
Over the last seven years Mr Satoor has made many changes, including making farming and food centre stage.
Mr Satoor said he wanted to do more to link students with the potential job opportunities in the region, focussing on the rural aspects of Shropshire and also on Telford’s technology.
