Remembering Danny Audritt.

Danny Audritt trained as an English teacher with Mid Essex ITT in 2016-2017. Danny was 51 when he started the course with us, making a career leap from being the owner and head chef of a busy town centre restaurant. After completing a degree in English Language and Literature in 2011 through the Open University, he had been considering teaching as a career for a while and completed observation days at local schools.  

The training year is often tough for trainee teachers for a number of reasons, and Danny’s was no exception. In fact, during his training year, Danny went through heart surgery in the first term. At this time, he described himself as an "impatient patient" and was keen to get back to training. Unfortunately, in the February of the training year, he then was diagnosed with pancreatitis. Despite this, he never spoke of deferring or giving up on his training – he was determined to succeed. Danny went on to secure his ECT position at Notley High School & Braintree Sixth Form and completed the course in July 2017. 

Danny sadly passed away in his sleep in February 2018, as a result of a heart attack. At Mid Essex ITT, we want to remember Danny - his passion for English, his determination to succeed and his resilience. In 2018, we created an award in his name which would be given to one trainee teacher at our annual awards ceremony. 

9th July 2018: The first Danny Audritt Award was given to Jennifer Philips for outstanding contribution.

8th July 2019: The second Danny Audritt Award was given to Victoria Bennett for excelling in the face of adversity.

10th July 2020: The third Danny Audritt Award was given to Regine Binder for outstanding resilience in the face of adversity.

7th July 2021: The fourth Danny Audritt Award was given to Bethany Quinn (English) for her extraordinary kindness, positivity and keenness to improve, despite facing ill health. Read her story here.

5th July 2022: The fifth Danny Audritt Award was presented to Meaghan Franklin (History) for her exceptional commitment to her own professional development, and her wider commitment to the school community, despite facing her own personal challenges. You can read her story here.

9th October 2023: The sixth Danny Audritt Award was presented to Mae Allan (English) for consistently demonstrating exceptional commitment to the profession of teaching throughout the course, despite challenging personal circumstances. You can read her story here.