BSKL’s teacher, Mr Martyn Stuart, awarded White Rose Science Teacher of the Year 2026

BSKL’s Year 2 Teaching and Learning Assessment (TLA) Lead, Mr Martyn Stuart, was awarded the Science Teacher of the Year Award 2026 during the White Rose Champion School Awards ceremony, held in June.

“It was a huge achievement; I felt very proud, first to be nominated, and then to win the whole thing was very special. It is something I will remember for a very long time,” he said recently.

Mr Stuart’s teaching career began in a small school in Scotland, where he spent three years in the classroom. He then relocated to Penang, Malaysia, teaching there for another three years before joining BSKL in 2020. Since then, he has been a valued member of the Primary School academic team.

He was nominated by BSKL’s Deputy Head of Primary: Teaching and Learning, Mr Paul Antcliffe, who wanted to recognise the contributions of the teaching staff in the school.

“Martyn consistently delivers lessons that are accessible, engaging and inspire a genuine love of science. Drawing on the training he received at MIT, he brings real-world relevance to his teaching, helping students understand the practical applications of scientific concepts,” said Mr Antcliffe.

Mr Stuart, who taught English, Mathematics, Science and Humanities in Year 2, described his teaching methods as part of a collaboration with the larger team, working with them closely to ensure that students enjoyed learning about science, but also making an impact on them.

“I’d like to have hands-on lessons, with them wanting to find out the big answers to these scientific questions. The whole process is collaborative, fun, engaging and brings a sense of wonder,” he said.

He explained that he and his team make science engaging by helping students explore science elements through live demonstrations, allowing them to explore and understand new concepts, such as magnetic and non-magnetic materials, generating questions, and guiding the students to explore more deeply.

“We also prompt them to apply previously acquired knowledge or theories and giving them additional information on top of what they already know, creating wonder,” he said.

He credits BSKL for putting a lot of emphasis on professional development for the academic staff and having it built into their personal and professional development.

“We collectively study an aspect of teaching and learning, and we come back to reflect on that after applying it to our teaching, whether it worked well, or it did not, whether we can move forward and apply to planning,” he said.

Mr Stuart added that he had the privilege to go to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston a few years ago, as part of Nord Anglia Education’s partnership with MIT, as well as collaboration with other Nord Anglia schools in Southeast Asia and science leads. BSKL is a part of Nord Anglia Education.

When asked what inspired him, Mr Stuart said his students’ thirst for knowledge and experimentation motivates him to keep on teaching.

“They are just little people doing it for the first time, and they’re trying their best; they may not get it right the first time, and that is okay. It is a privilege to see it happen,” he said.