After 26 years at Fairfax Academy, you might expect PE Teacher and Head of Year 10 Mr Ravenscroft to have slowed down a little. Instead, he says the job he loves is still “non-stop” but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
He has been shortlisted for Teacher of the Year at the Midlands Education Awards, recognising his exceptional contribution to teaching, pastoral leadership and school sport.
Over more than two decades, Mr Ravenscroft has transformed Fairfax’s sporting culture, especially in rugby. From early‑morning training sessions to weekend fixtures, DofE expeditions, ski trips and every enrichment opportunity in between, he has shaped countless student experiences.
Reflecting on his early days at Fairfax, he said:
“When I first came here I was dropped in at the deep end, which is how I liked it. Straightaway I was running rugby, athletics, cricket and the school did exactly what I wanted it to do.”
He admits the pace hasn’t slowed:
“It’s just non-stop really. My extra-curricular is a job on top of a job. In the winter I’m out every single night, plus fixtures. But I wake up and I want to do my job. I’d hate to be in a job I didn’t enjoy, and I really do enjoy mine.”
He jokes that PE teachers are “a strange breed,” adding:
“We probably enjoy the extra bits more than the job itself.”
Those “extra bits” include 22 years of Saturday rugby fixtures and 26 years of DofE weekends. All given willingly because students want those opportunities.
Growing up in the army, he had access to experiences he wanted to pass on to students.
“Running a ski trip and having students come back years later saying ‘Do you remember that trip?’ – that’s what makes me smile.”
Beyond sport, Mr Ravenscroft’s impact is felt deeply in his role as Head of Year 10, where he leads with empathy, humour and unwavering commitment. This year has been especially challenging following the death of a student, and his support for his year group has been exceptional.
Mr Ravenscroft is one of five Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust colleagues shortlisted for honours at the Midlands Education Awards 2026, taking place at Millennium Point on Friday 3 July.
