A TEACHER at Prestatyn High School says he is "over the moon" after winning a prestigious award.

Physics teacher Dr Panos Athanasopoulos received a 2023 Teacher of Physics Award from the Institute of Physics (IOP).

This was in recognition of his "teaching excellence" and "inclusive approach, outstanding support of colleagues, work with trainee teachers and contributions to the broader community at conferences and in online forums."

The IOP Teachers of Physics Awards celebrate outstanding classroom practice in the teaching of physics, and recognise the success of secondary school teachers in the UK and Ireland who, by their dedication and excellence in the classroom, have raised the state of physics teaching in their school.

Dr Athanasopoulos said: "I am over the moon to receive this award. I am so lucky to be part of an amazing Science Department at Prestatyn High School and it is great to see our efforts for excellent education for all be externally recognised.“

Dr Athanasopoulos is known for his extensive subject knowledge and understanding of misconceptions in physics. His talks on this subject have received great feedback from attendees at the IOP Wales Physics Teachers Conference in recent years.

Dr Athanasopoulos’ evident enthusiasm for physics has steadily increased the number of students choosing to study physics at university. His restructuring of the department’s schemes of work has contributed to physics results being among the best in his school at GCSE and A-Level.

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Chris Shepherd, Teacher Recruitment & Retention Manager at the IOP, said: "I am delighted to be recognising and applauding Dr Panos Athanasopoulos. Each of this year’s winners has, through their skill and personal commitment, made a significant positive difference to the teaching of physics in their school, the student experience and the level of student achievement.

"On behalf of the Institute of Physics, I warmly congratulate all of them and thank them for their dedication to their students, their school and their subject."

The IOP is the UK and Ireland’s professional body for physicists. Its members come from across the physics community, including academia, research, industry, and education.