Teacher walks the red carpet (From Crewe Guardian)

Teacher walks the red carpet

10:59am Thursday 19th June 2008 in Lifestyle By David Morgan

AS far as head teacher Meg Marshall is concerned, she is just one cog in a well-oiled machine.

For although she was put in the spotlight for winning Cheshire Woman of the Year, she said she could not have done it without the help of everyone at Meadowside Primary School in Longford, Warrington.

"It is not just my leadership but the hard work of everybody. I couldn't do it on my own. It makes the staff feel very proud and engenders a sense of pride in the whole school community," said Meg, who lives in Tarvin in Chester.

The mother-of-one, who has dedicated the past 27 years of her career to making a difference to young lives, was nominated for the NSPCC award for outstanding professional achievement'.

Out of 100 worthy entrants across Cheshire and the Wirral, Meg scooped the coveted title at a sparkling awards evening at Chester Racecourse.

On the night, she was whisked off to a secret room where she met celebrities and the Mayor of Chester.

"It was amazing to be recognised. It makes me feel very valued and that what I do is worthwhile."

Meg Marshall

"It was very exciting," added the 47-year-old.

"I would equate it to being as salubrious as a wedding without having to take a husband.

"I was made a great fuss of, there was red carpet outside and I was given champagne, which I was too nervous even to take a sip of.

"It was quite overwhelming to hear people's judgements about what I've achieved here at the school.

"It was very emotional and amazing to be recognised publicly. It makes me feel very valued and that what I do is worthwhile."

Despite shattered nerves, Meg gave a short acceptance speech - something she thought was important to acknowledge the valuable contributions that the other nominees had made in Cheshire.

"I recognised that the winner wasn't what the award was all about," she said.

"The award is about recognising the achievements of women who have done outstanding things in various fields.

"I'm just one dedicated head. There are thousands of people who, every day, do what I do.

"I just so happened to be recognised so I accepted the award on behalf of all dedicated heads, particularly those who chose headships in the most challenging localities."

At first, Meg wanted to remain tight-lipped about winning the award but then she realised what it meant to the school.

She was inundated with flowers, cardsand champagne, parents came in to congratulate her and former colleagues got in touch to send warm wishes.

"Close friends are really thrilled because they know that I live, eat and breathe my work and my school and they have always backed me and supported me," added Meg.

She also said she could not have done it without the support of her husband, Glyn, and son William, 13, whose friends describe her as a cool mum.' For anyone who has ever met her, Meg's ability to relate to children is crystal clear.

When Limited Edition visited Meadowside, she made time for any one of the 220 children that seeked her attention, many running up to hug her.

Her knowledge of what was going on in each of their lives was incredible.

Meg arrived at the school two and a half years ago and instigated a great number of changes.

One of the most obvious was when the name of the school was changed from Long Lane Primary School to Meadowside Primary School, after a consultation and a vote involving the parents.

Almost as if it were a reflection of the new name, a sense of warmth and colour then slowly started to infiltrate the building, classroom by classroom.

Perhaps the most emblematic of the changes was the creation of the Meadowside Room, a vibrant creche facility including a model tree that all the children painted their handprints on.

The similarly named Sunshine Room - decorated to look like a living room - gives children with emotional needs a place to relax.

In reception, proudly on display is an exhibition of sorts from Meg's recent visit to Meadowside's partner school, Margaret Gwele Primary School in Soweto, South Africa. The principal of the Soweto school also visited Meadowside in September.

"It did a lot for race relations him coming here," said Meg.

"He loved the children, loved the families and gave so much and brought so much of his world and his culture to our children. It has really impacted on the children's global awareness.

"It is a personal and professional vision of mine that the children should know there is a whole world out there."

To complement Meg's vision, there is also a roleplay room decked out to bring foreign language classes to life, complete with passports', bureau de change and carts selling' French and Spanish cuisine.

The school is even working on a radio room for media studies.

But some of the most dramatic changes can be found in the playground. Previously home to just some bars, pupils now enjoy an adventure playtrail, an enclosed sports area, a sandpit and a wildlife area called Froggy Forest'.

The staff - who Meg described as her greatest resource' - also did not miss out in the whirl of improvements with a plush staff room.

"I have been here for just more than two and a half years now and we have moved further than I ever could have envisaged in that short time. It is a credit to everyone I work with.

"We have made sure the environment is more appropriate to the needs of the children, making it light and bright, warm and welcoming," added the head teacher.

Other improvements include music clubs and after-school clubs as well as constantly evolving the curriculum to make sure it is relevant to the children's needs and economic wellbeing.

The school's walking bus' scheme has also been a resounding success, in which a 'driver' walks at the front and the conductor brings up the rear as the children travel to school via a 15-minute set route, picking up passengers at specific bus stops along the way.

Next on the agenda, Meg wants to facilitate broadband Internet access for all the homes in the school community.

She said: "It is the way of the world, it is how everyone is communicating so I want to look at that for everybody.

"There is an absolute buzz and energy to the school so the challenge is maintaining that."