Barry Rodgers, head of business studies at South Dartmoor Community College, Ashburton, is among the winners of interactive investor’s Personal Finance Teacher of the Year Awards 2021.

Barry has won £3,000 for his school was runner up in the Ambassador award.

He joined South Dartmoor Community College at the start of the pandemic and has already made a significant contribution to the teaching of personal finance at the school. A college spokesman said: ‘Barry, head of Business Education, is evangelical regarding the importance of personal finance education in schools, embedding personal finance into the curriculum in his previous two schools.

‘He impressed the judges by putting on an additional class on financial education, his extra-curricular projects and with his ambition to launch a business and finance centre of excellence.’

The competition by interactive investor, the direct-to-consumer investment platform, was set up to recognise excellence in personal finance education and raise the profile of the great work being done in schools across the country.

The competition was set up to recognise teachers across the key stages who have actively sought to instil good financial know-how among their pupils, awarding cash prizes to winning schools to help fund their efforts.

This year, there were cash prizes for seven schools. For the best secondary teachers teaching personal finance, there was a winner, a runner up and two highly commended prizes. For the best primary school teacher, there was one winner.

There was adde a new ‘Ambassador’ award to recognise teachers who create and provide resources on financial education for teachers to adapt and use in their classrooms. For this category there was a winner and runner up.

The winning teachers and ambassador each receive £5,000 for their schools, while the schools of the runners up receive £3,000, and the highly commended teachers, £2,500.

Richard Wilson, CEO of interactive investor, says: ‘We have much admiration for teachers, whose hard work and inspiration makes a difference every single day.

‘This year’s winners have raised the bar on previous years’ entries, having delivered the highest quality financial education we have seen. We’re delighted to see how they inspire children to learn about money with such fun and engaging lessons.

‘And we were impressed by the dedication of those teachers who were championing the financial education mission not only in their own schools but in other schools in their areas.

‘Financial education from a young age is so important – to help forge a healthy relationship with money from the beginning. Congratulations to all our winners.’