Congratulations to newly qualified Darwin PGCE student Cressida McKay-Frith, who has been awarded the Charles Fox Prize 2024 by the Faculty of Education.
The award recognises the perception of her supervisors that “from the first day of the PGCE course, Cressida has impressed us with her strong desire to be the best teacher she can be”, as well her child-centred approach to teaching, her organisation, dedication and commitment.
Cressida studied at the Royal Northern College of Music before spending four years in Hong Kong where she worked as a music teacher. Her Cambridge training qualifies her to teach as an Early Years Primary Teacher, a role in which she plans to incorporate as much music as possible into the daily lives of young children. To that end she has successfully achieved the Cecilia Vajda Memorial scholarship, enabling her to attend the prestigious British Kodàly Academy Summer School this summer.
Cressida has accepted a permanent position as Year 2 teacher at the University of Cambridge Primary School.
“School starts every morning with 20 minutes of singing, so it feels like the right fit!” she says.
While her academic base in Cambridge has been at the Faculty of Education, with school placements often taking her away for 12 hours a day, Darwin has been a welcome retreat.
“I knew I wanted a postgraduate College, as I’d been working for a few years so was a bit older,” Cressida recalls. “Applying to Darwin was the best decision I’ve ever made. The PGCE is so full on, so having such a warm family feeling to return to every evening was wonderful.”
