A LIFELONG Bradford City fan was left starstruck after being presented with a signed shirt from goalkeeper Harry Lewis at a surprise celebratory event.
Roy McQuade, a teaching assistant from Carlton Bolling College, has been heralded as secondary school 2022 TA of the Year in a national competition- making him the first in Yorkshire to receive this award.
Roy was nominated by Head Teacher Mohammed Azum who wanted to get him the recognition he rightly deserves.
He said: “Roy encapsulates the Carlton Bolling culture of teamwork and resilience, and we are very fortunate to have Roy work with our children.
“It was a bit of a surprise when I received the call last week regarding Roy’s award, as no teaching assistant from Yorkshire has ever won the award.
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“When I spoke with Roy regarding the prizes he had won, he had already planned on who he would be giving his prizes to, which included some of his colleagues.
“This is typical of Roy, as he has always put others in front of himself.
“As a gesture of the Academies’ appreciation of Roy’s hard work and enthusiasm, I organised a signed shirt to be presented to Roy during the opening event.”
The award was organised as part of National Teaching Assistants day, where colleagues and students can nominate their favourite classroom helpers.
Roy said: “It is an honour to win this national accolade.
“It really is a team effort and I love working with young people playing a significant role in bettering their life chances.
“I was completely star-struck today when I met Harry.
“It was a nice surprise to receive the signed shirt and it is something I will cherish.”
The surprise celebration was tied into the opening of the college’s new Ambition Hub; a specialist provision within the school that will support students with a wide range of Special Educational Needs.
The event was attended by members from the Bradford Council SEND team as well as Harry Lewis, Bradford City goalkeeper.
The Ambition hub is a part of the academy’s vision for creating an inclusive environment for all students to achieve excellence.
Harry Lewis, Bradford City Goalkeeper: “My inspiration as a young boy was Joe Hart ex-England goalkeeper when he visited my school.
“The opportunity to meet my idol motivated me into pursuing a career in football and I hope that my visit today will also inspire the next generation of footballers.”
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