Teacher given award for work with refugees

I feel honoured I can help people reach their potential, says tutor of the year

A FORMER pupil Kennet School, Thatcham, has won a national award for helping refugees improve their English.

Victoria Jones, aged 34, who also went to Francis Baily School, Thatcham, works as a development officer at an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) centre run by Cardiff Council.

She was given the ESOL Tutor of the Year award last Monday.

She said: “It was enough just to be nominated. When they phoned and said that I had won, I was amazed.

“[The students] work hard to overcome language barriers and to become active citizens.”

She added: “I feel honoured that I can help people to achieve their potential.

“The young people I work with are proof that no matter what life throws at you, it is possible to work towards and to believe in a brighter future.”

As part of her role, young people and refugees are referred on to Mrs Jones and they stay under her tuition until they are ready to move on.

She has taught people from all over the world including Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Yemen.

She added that a lot of the refugees she taught had high ambitions and wanted to pursue careers as solicitors and doctors, but their language skills held them back.

She said: “We do various projects with them to help them feel part of the UK and to provide support for them.

“They can be very isolated if they don't have good English so we are trying to help them be part of the community.”

Helen Adams, a colleague who nominated Mrs Jones, said “Victoria recognises the specific needs of this group and develops their basic life skills.

“Victoria ensures that the sessions provide a safe environment for the young people to develop their confidence and self-esteem and to develop their language skills.”