Teachers and researchers came together for a special event on Wednesday 19th November to honour the legacy of Harold Rosen and to celebrate outstanding contributions to English teaching across the profession
Honouring a legacy: the Harold Rosen Lecture
The Harold Rosen Lecture commemorated Harold Rosen (1919–2008), one of the most influential figures in English education. Rosen served as Head of English at Walworth School before moving to the Institute of Education, where he worked alongside fellow pioneers including James Britton and Nancy Martin. He helped establish LATE in 1947 and later NATE in 1963, shaping the landscape of English teaching for generations. Founded in 2012, the lecture series has continued to inspire fresh thinking about English, learning, and literacy.
This year, NATE was honoured to welcome Carol Atherton to give the Harold Rosen Lecture. Head of English at Spalding Grammar School and author of Defining Literary Criticism (2005) and the acclaimed Reading Lessons (2024), Carol has long been respected for her insights into literary study, curriculum, and the lived experiences of young readers. Her lecture continued Rosen’s tradition of provoking debate and deepening understanding of English as both a discipline and a formative force in young people’s lives.
The NATE Awards 2024
Since 2004, NATE has recognised exceptional teachers, researchers, and leaders whose work has enriched the teaching of English. The awards for 2024 highlight a remarkable group whose contributions span research, classroom innovation, curriculum development, diversity, and lifelong service.
Outstanding contribution to NATE — Gary Snapper
Gary Snapper, Departmental Lecturer in English Education, received this year’s award for Outstanding Contribution to NATE. A former Head of English at Impington Village College, Cambridge, Gary has played a significant role in shaping English education through his teaching, doctoral research, involvement in ITE, and extensive professional service.
Gary was editor of NATE’s Teaching English from its inception until recently. He developed curriculum and assessment materials for the International Baccalaureate, and has delivered national training. His research explores English as a discipline, particularly its underlying tensions and their impact on teaching and learning. Gary has remained especially committed to the teaching of poetry and sixth-form English. His intellectual leadership and long-standing service to the English-teaching community made him a fitting recipient of this year’s award.
Outstanding contribution to English teaching — Carol Atherton
In addition to delivering the Harold Rosen Lecture, Carol Atherton was honoured for her Outstanding Contribution to English Teaching. Carol traces her vocation back to reading David Lodge’s Nice Work as a teenager, which prompted her to begin her lifelong engagement with Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and the wider literary world. As the first in her family to attend university, she studied English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford. After graduating, she moved into English teaching in Lincolnshire, balancing full-time classroom work with part-time doctoral study at the University of Nottingham. Her scholarly interest in the history of English literature as a discipline fed directly into her classroom practice and writing. Her book Reading Lessons (2024) reflected nearly three decades of teaching, exploring how canonical texts have been reinterpreted by new cohorts of students and shifting social contexts. Atherton’s work has continued to champion the transformative potential of English, making her a richly deserving award recipient.
Outstanding contribution to research – Theo Bryer, Jane Coles and Maggie Pitfield
This year’s award for Outstanding Contribution to Research was shared by Jane Coles, Theo Bryer, and Maggie Pitfield, whose long-term, classroom-rooted research has revitalised understanding of drama, spoken language, and other essential but increasingly marginalised elements of English. Their book Drama at the Heart of English (2023) argued for the full integration of drama and multimodal texts into the curriculum. Across numerous articles in English in Education and Changing English, the trio examined the consequences of curriculum reform on drama and oracy, the development of novice teachers, and the cultural and political pressures shaping English pedagogy. Their body of work — including studies on transmedia approaches to Beowulf, ‘active Shakespeare’ pedagogy, and intergenerational dialogues about English teaching — helped restore vital traditions in drama and literature based learning. Collectively, they shaped how teachers understand, defend, and develop meaningful classroom practice.
Early career research award — Matt Simpson
Matt Simpson was recognised for his early-career research project, Queering the English Classroom: Could Year 9 students’ learning about Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice be enriched by studying its LGBTQIA+ themes? Set against a backdrop of debates about LGBTQIA+ education — including the 2019 protests at Parkfield Community School — Matt’s research investigated how English lessons could challenge heteronormativity while also supporting academic attainment. Working with Year 9 pupils at a non-selective state girls’ school, he found that exploring LGBTQIA+ themes within Shakespeare not only deepened students’ understanding of the text but also broadened their knowledge of LGBTQIA+ identities and issues. The study demonstrated how English, and Shakespeare in particular, can create space for more inclusive, critically aware classroom conversations.
Award for Primary — Rachel Laverack
Rachel Laverack, this year’s winner of the Primary Award, brought more than thirty years’ experience to her recognition as an exceptional advocate for English teaching across Cumbria and beyond. A passionate specialist with extensive experience in classroom and advisory roles, she most recently served as a General Advisor for Cumbria Local Authority. Her previous work included serving as an English Consultant with The National Strategies and leading English and Drama departments in two secondary schools. Rachel has supported countless teachers in building engaging, rigorous English curricula. Her longstanding commitment to primary literacy and her expert guidance made her an exemplary recipient of this award.
Joan Goody Award for Diversity — Velda Elliott
Velda Elliott was presented — by NATE Diversity Officer Furzeen Ahmed — with the Joan Goody Award for Diversity for her influential work challenging inequities within the English curriculum. Velda has investigated how literature is taught and assessed, with a particular focus on representation and the dismantling of imperialist legacies in English studies. She led the landmark Lit in Colour research reports and continued to contribute to the campaign for more diverse texts in schools. Beyond this, she served as an Editor of the Oxford Review of Education and Associate Editor of English in Education. She co-convened the Race, Coloniality and Education Research Group and led the Qualitative Methods Hub in her department. Her work has previously earned her NATE’s Outstanding Contribution to Research award, the UKLA Academic Book Award, an International Fellowship from the University of Adelaide, and an invitation to deliver the Harold Rosen Lecture. Her ongoing leadership made her a powerful agent for change in English education.
A celebration of the profession
From early-career researchers to veteran teachers, this year’s NATE Awards showcased the depth, diversity, and dedication of our community. Each winner exemplifies the passion, creativity, and critical engagement that continues to shape the subject in classrooms across the country.
