Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Croydon High School teacher Arabi Karteepan has won the Institute of Physics’ Teacher of Physics prize for his work inspiring student achievement.
The next stage of Mission Pegasus, the long-term effort with the school’s Astrogazers Club that aims to launch the school’s own satellite into space, will benefit from Karteepan’s donation of her £1,000 IOP prize.
The award citation from the Institute of Physics said:
“Mrs Karteepan has brought physics to life outside the classroom by running the Astrogazers Club, successfully launching two weather balloons, a first for a school in the UK. For this initiative, she developed a partnership with the University of Bath as well as collaborating with other universities and professionals in the physics and space industry.
Mrs Karteepan’s approach within and beyond the curriculum empowers girls to envision themselves as future leaders in physics and beyond.
The popularity of the physics club has soared and serves as an exciting example of what is possible when pupils are allowed to dream big and teachers work to make those dreams a reality.”
Croydon High is the fee-paying girls’ school in Selsdon which was established in 1874, one of the first schools founded by the Girls’ Day School Trust. Its first Headmistress, Dorinda Neligan, oversaw the school for 27 years and became a militant feminist.
Today’s Croydon High Headteacher, Annabel Davis, said of the latest recognition for the work of the school’s Head of Physics:
“This award reflects the extraordinary inspiration Arabi brings to our girls every day. She shows them that physics is not only for them, but can be led by them – and Mission Pegasus is a perfect example of that spirit.”
How will the IOP award funds be used for pupil projects?
The Institute of Physics (IOP) award finances given to Arabi Karteepan for the schoolteacher of drugs prize will be used to support pupil systems specifically through Mission Pegasus, a program at Croydon High School aiming to design, make, and launch a satellite into route.
The £1,000 prize fund will be invested directly back into this design to fund coming up with advanced exploration, development, and educational conditioning that inspire and engage scholars in drugs and space wisdom.
More astronomically, the IOP supports systems that engage young people and families in drugs through its Public Engagement Grant Scheme, which funds conditioning that raises interest in wisdom among underrepresented groups.