PE teacher named among the best in the country

One of Haileybury’s PE teachers, Annie Thomas, has been named in the top three PE teachers in the country. The award, for PE Teacher of the Year, was one of the categories in the Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year awards.

Annie attended the awards ceremony at Lord’s cricket ground on Tuesday, 20 November, and was "humbled and honoured" to be recognised in this manner for her day-to-day work. She rubbed shoulders with luminaries such as Billie-Jean King and Tanni Grey-Thompson at the event.

During her 34 years as a PE teacher, Annie has inspired several generations of young people, mostly in Hertfordshire, through her passion and infectious enthusiasm for everything to do with sport. She teaches games to junior and senior girls at Haileybury three afternoons a week, as well as co-ordinating the Herts Youth Games and acting as the School Sports Co-ordinator for the Hertford and Ware School Sports Partnership.

She has worked at Haileybury for five years, enjoying particular success with the girls’ 2nd netball team which remained unbeaten for two consecutive years.

In addition to her professional roles, Annie has also devoted her life to volunteering at international and national sporting events over weekends and during holidays. She has worked at the World and European Indoor Athletics championships, the London Triathlon, the World Rowing Championships in 2006, the European Hockey Championships in 2007 and the London Duathlon.

Not content to be simply a spectator, Annie has set herself the challenge of competing in the Eton Super Sprint triathlon next May.