A Slough teaching assistant has been awarded for her dedication and commitment to helping pupils.

Insiyah Dungarwalla, who is a teaching assistant at Western House Academy, has been recognised with a national award.

She won the HLTA (Higher Level Teaching Assistant) Primary School category in the Teaching Assistant Awards, run by Teaching Personnel and Best Practice Network.

She was given a glass trophy, a certificate and a voucher at a ceremony in the school on Friday, September 29. 

The awards have been held annually since 2012 as part of National Teaching Assistants Day, which celebrates the contribution of TAs across primary, secondary and special schools.

Insiyah was nominated for the award by colleagues who spoke of her dedication as a higher-level teaching assistant and the admiration of staff for her commitment and high standards.

One colleague said: “Insiyah is one of those teaching assistants that is absolutely everywhere and what I mean by that is that nothing is too much trouble.

"I do not think that 'no' is ever a word that she uses. 

"As a HLTA, Insiyah has a regular phonics group and she takes her teaching very seriously – recently her group of 20 children all passed the phonics screening test with flying colours.

"The children love and respect her like they would a class teacher and she has much admiration by all staff and not only those who work directly with her.”

The awards organisers received hundreds of nominations from schools across the country for seven award categories.

Matt Flynn, Operations Director at awards organisers Teaching Personnel, said: “There are almost a quarter of a million TAs working in England’s schools, going the extra mile day in and day out, but their value is often underestimated.

"That’s why we run the National Teaching Assistants Day every year to recognise and celebrate wonderful individuals like Insiyah who make such a difference to children’s lives.”