Bedford Academy teacher gets top national film award

A film starring a Bedford Academy maths and PE teacher has won a prestigious national award.

Filmmakers at Teach First - a charity which addresses educational disadvantage - caught on camera the inspirational work of Bedford Academy teacher Albert Adeyemi.

In the film - called Representation - he is shown mentoring groups of boys and talking to them about the importance of open and honest discussions about race and representation.

And this week, the seven-minute film saw off stiff competition to win the ‘people’s choice’ category in the national Charity Film Awards.

Albert said: “It shows that representation really matters for so many reasons, from challenging stereotypes and misconceptions to enriching the experiences of all students. Representation benefits everyone."

And together with Bedford Academy’s deputy head Pete Roberts and two students featured in the film - Muthir Jamal and Theodore McKoy-Campbell - Albert collected the award at a ceremony in central London.

He added: “The whole experience has been so positive, especially because it was so unexpected.”

Albert - who has taught at the school for four years - said the film vividly conveyed the "impact and power of mentoring".

Chris Deller, head of Bedford Academy, which is part of HEART Academies Trust, said: “As a school community, we are delighted that Albert has received the recognition he deserves.

“Our mentoring sessions are an important part of the support we give students throughout their time at Bedford Academy.”