Timm Dadds, Cwmrhydyceirw Primary, is our Teacher of the Year 2020

Congratulations to Timm Dadds, Deputy Headteacher at Cwmrhydyceirw Primary School in Swansea, who has been crowned Teacher of the Year (Sponsored by Working Title Films) at the Into Film Awards 2020.

Timm has been involved in teaching for over twenty years, first volunteering at his local primary school in Shepherds Bush, London, before going on to teach in a variety of schools, which took him from the capital to Bridgend to his current post in Swansea. Timm has taught at Cwmrhydyceirw for the past seven years, bringing the power of film learning into the classroom and seeing the incredible impact it's had on his pupils.

Cwmrhydyceirw Primary School is one of the largest in Swansea, and part of its catchment area is ranked amongst the most deprived in Wales, while 20% of pupils are in receipt of Free School Meals. In April 2019, the school was the first English medium school in Wales to be awarded excellent grades by Estyn in all five inspection areas.

Timm has always sought out engaging and exciting new approaches to learning, which led him to attend a course organised by Into Film Cymru, where he "at once recognised the power of film to overcome barriers for those with low levels of confidence and attainment in oracy, reading and writing."

Always keen to share his experiences and extol the power of film in the classroom, Timm has worked with us on developing our Film in a Fortnight and Eco Explorers resources, and is an Into Film Cymru Teacher Ambassador. He has also presented on behalf on Into Film at the Senedd, at National Digital Learning Events, and at training sessions across Swansea and Neath Port Talbot.

The Into Film Awards ceremony was due to take place in March 2020, with David Walliams as host, but was sadly unable to go ahead as planned due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, Walliams was still on hand to host our virtual ceremony, and you can see the moment he announced Timm Dadds as winner in the clip below.