Pupil persuades Premiership football club to congratulate his award-winning teacher
'It was a fantastic day! Another dream come true.' So says Steve Mills, Hertfordshire deputy head and winner of the UK Award for Teacher of the Year in a Primary School (2009), who received five-star treatment at his beloved football club this weekend, thanks to pupil Ben Hankin.
Steve, 40, born in Stockport, is a lifelong fan and season ticket holder at Manchester City Football Club which invited him behind-the-scenes to be congratulated by veteran England player Mike Summerbee on Sunday April 11.
The big treat for sports-mad Steve was all down to the persistence of one of his pupils - Ben Hankin, aged 11, in Year 6 at the William Ransom Primary School, Hitchin, Hertfordshire. Ben started emailing MCFC after his class teacher, Mr Mills, scooped a top award at the 2009 Teaching Awards last October, broadcast on BBC2. Ben told the club that his classroom had an MCFC nameplate and that his amazing teacher was such a devoted fan he deserved a personal reward from them.
Ben, who incidentally is a Liverpool fan, says: ‘Mr Mills is funny and loves his sport. He makes lessons really fun and interesting so you sometimes learn things without even realising it. He encourages everyone to do their best. And he has a great saying pinned up on the wall "The harder you work, the luckier you will be". You can tell he really enjoys teaching and helping us to achieve great results in all we do, either in lessons or in sport.’
Steve says: ‘Ben is quite a persistent chap but a really good pupil. It wasn’t until MCFC got back to him with dates that I realised this was serious stuff. It’s an honour to be recognised in this way. I’ve been a fan all my life and meeting Mike Summerbee was amazing.
‘The UK Teaching Awards (last October) was one of the best days of my life and I’ve been having a great time ever since. Thanks to Ben, another dream has just come true.’
Steve was invited to the home game against Birmingham City on Sunday where he went behind the scenes, through the players’ tunnel and watched the pre-match warm-up from the pitchside.
He said: ‘I was taken down to the inner workings of the football ground via the VVIP lift (I’m serious, they have a lift for Very Very Important People.) I just took in the whole atmosphere, watched the manager being interviewed by Sky Sports and saw how big the pitch is. Another veteran player called Paul Lake came over for a chat too.
‘Mike Summerbee then re-presented me with my Teaching Awards trophy – the gold Plato – and gave me a Manchester City shirt with MR MILLS - TEACHER OF THE YEAR printed on the back – just like a real player! That was a nice touch.’
Steve watched the match from his season ticket seat with his parents Alan and Pauline who are also devoted City fans. ‘It was a fantastic day, another dream come true - especially when my name appeared on the giant score boards at half-time, saying "Welcome". It was an unforgettable experience, capped off by the fantastic result: 5 – 1!’
His father Alan said: ‘We had a smashing day which we’ll always remember. The signing on Steve’s shirt calls him ‘a true blue’ and I think he’ll get that framed for his classroom.’ After the win the Mills family faced their usual 180-mile drive home. They’ll be back next weekend for the derby between MCFC and Manchester United when fans will read Steve and Ben’s story in the match programme.
In addition to his teaching duties Steve is a highly successful sports coach at William Ransom. Ben explains: ‘We play a lot of sport including football. Mr Mills (with Mrs Light) are our coaches at football, cricket and lacrosse. This term we won the Hitchin Schools' Football League and got through to the county finals of the Wix Football Trophy.
‘We have also reached the national finals of the Lacrosse Tournament for the 7th year in a row. And we have just won the sports award for ‘The School of the Year’ from the local newspaper (The Hitchin Comet).
‘One Mr Mills’ greatest achievements was coaching the cricket side to winning the National Kwik Cricket final in 2006. Thousands of teams entered and the school won the final at Trent Bridge. Part of the prize for winning was to go to Old Trafford and meet Freddie Flintoff. My sister was part of the winning squad.’
Steve Mills, who was originally nominated for a Teaching Award by former pupil Rebecca Hardy, is the only male teacher in the staffroom at William Ransom where colleagues say he is ‘an excellent role model - especially for the boys’. One teacher said: ‘I am an admirer of Steve’s giving spirit, creative talents and calm nature, as well as the poise he radiates no matter how demanding or pressing the situation.’
He believes in self-esteem and nurtures this in his pupils. One former pupil told Teaching Awards judges: ‘He is responsible for crafting the person I am today – confident and with the ability to enter any social situation without fear of being rejected.’
Having seen him teach last year the UK Teaching Awards judges said: ‘Steve Mills is a truly gifted teacher, a role model for the children, a credit to his profession and an extraordinary human being. It was a pleasure to see him teach.’
