Mr Michael Whitmarsh of Bolton School Boys' Division has won the North West Teacher of the Year Award for Enterprise. He was presented with his trophy at an awards ceremony at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester. He is the first teacher in Bolton to win such an award and he goes on to the National Final to be seen on BBC television in October.
Mr Whitmarsh, masterminded a nine year project to build an ocean-going boat to celebrate the Millennium and to offer a real challenge to the students. The building of the boat has involved over 1,000 pupils and has formed part of the curriculum for boys from Years 7 up to A level studies in Years 12 and 13. The 48 foot, 12-berth sailing vessel was commonly known as the Millennium Ketch until it was officially named "Tenacity of Bolton” and transported to Glasson Dock at Lancaster earlier this summer. It will shortly be undergoing sea trials before it is used to give pupils sailing experience in the Irish Sea and West Coast of Scotland.
On the building of the boat, Mr Whitmarsh commented: "It's an incredible achievement. Learning is enhanced when pupils can see that their work has a real world impact - and there’s nothing more effective than a 48 foot sailing boat! There are many specialist projects undertaken throughout the country but few encompass the wide variety of technological processes involved in the construction of an ocean going yacht.”
At the awards evening, Mr Whitmarsh’s citation read: “Mike has commandeered businesses for cash and training, and engineers, accountants, designers, university professors, maritime and coastguard agencies have enriched students’ learning. The ketch project is a metaphor for everything that has been special about the teaching of Michael Whitmarsh during his career. He communicates a vision of enterprise through inspirational use of technology.”
Mr Whitmarsh retired as Head of Technology and from teaching in 2006 in order that he could concentrate on finishing off the boat. He has had an outstanding career. He began his teaching at Kenilworth and was one of the first teachers to set up the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme in Warwickshire, he restored old mopeds to use with students, then a canal boat. He established a CSE course for outdoor pursuits, built sailing dinghies, go-karts and a hovercraft.
On his arrival at Bolton School in 1980, he re-built the whole woodwork/metalwork area, at minimal cost, using volunteers. Mr Whitmarsh established Technology as a subject in 1986 and was ahead of his time by incorporating Computer Graphics, Electronics and Plastics. Many successes followed. Patents for six projects were developed, students won national competitions for the 'Young Inventor and Young Electronic Engineer of the Year’. Exam boards used his project as examples. He received the Royal Society Award for Excellence in Technology Teaching. For several years he organised the Cautley Outdoor Pursuits Centre, was a DoE assessor and a member of the Mountain Rescue Team.
We wish him the best of luck in the National Final!
You can read more about the boat building project here.