An Aberystwyth woman is one of seven secondary school teachers in the UK to scoop a prestigious award for her work.

Cerys Corbett, who grew up in Aberystwyth and went to St Padarn’s and Penglais school before going to Cardiff University and studying chemistry, received a 2018 Teachers of Physics Award from the Institute of Physics earlier this month.

Cerys, who now teaches at St Joseph’s RC High School in Newport, south Wales, was recognised for her “exceptional work teaching physics”, where GCSE results have seen “significant improvement”.

Cerys was presented with a prize of £300, a paperweight award and a certificate by president, Prof Dame Julia Higgins, at the institute’s annual awards dinner in London on 20 November.

The judges, in presenting the award, said: “Cerys creates a friendly learning environment in which students are both supported and challenged.

“As a non-physics specialist, driven by her desire to benefit and motivate he students, she strived to improve her subject knowledge and pedagogy.

“Her lessons challenge and inspire her students and have led to significant improvements in the department’s GCSE results.

“She is an excellent role model, developing girl’s interest in physics and promoting STEM subjects.

“For the last seven years she has devoted many hours to running the Engineering Education Scheme Wales project for post-16 students.

“She encapsulates the notion of physics for all.”

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