Rebecca hits a high note with top award

INSPIRATIONAL . . . winner Rebecca Lewis

OLDHAM-born music teacher Rebecca Lewis has been named Classic FM’s Secondary School Music Teacher of the Year.

She received the accolade at the Royal Albert Hall during the Music for Youth schools prom concerts, in front of thousands of people.

The 31 year old, whose parents Margaret and Frank Lewis still live in the family home in Gainsborough Avenue, Coppice, has had a lifelong passion for music.

She taught herself up to GCSE level, gaining an A* in the subject at Hathershaw School, because other subjects she wanted to take clashed with the timetable for music lessons.

Rebecca, who also went to Werneth School, is now assistant director of music at the Parkside Federation in Cambridge.

The award rewards teachers who have made a real difference to the musical life of young people, and was presented to Rebecca by musician and composer Karl Jenkins.

An overwhelmed Rebecca said: “It has been an incredible honour and privilege to work with Parkside Federation’s young people, helping them to develop their musical understanding and ability; daring them to dream big and encouraging them to strive for excellence.”

She was presented with musical equipment and instruments from Yamaha and software from Avid for her school as part of the award.