Mrs Melanie Franklin has won a Silver Award in the 'Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School' category of the 2026 Pearson National Teaching Awards! 

We are proud to have pupils from all corners of the globe living and studying at King’s. Around 250 students of more than 40 different nationalities call our five Senior boarding houses home. Many of these incredible young people join our international study programmes having never visited the UK before, with below-average English speaking, writing, and reading skills, and requiring significant support to settle into what is ultimately a new life.

This is where powerhouse, Mrs Franklin, who is Head of ESOL and Teacher of IELTS at King’s Ely Senior, comes in.

Mrs Franklin’s vast experience of teaching English in schools around the world, her innovative and exciting approach to learning, her compassionate nature, and her belief in every young person’s ability to shine, results in international students at King’s achieving impressive outcomes. Thanks to Mrs Franklin and her team, they not only drastically improve their English, but attain strong GCSE and A-Level results, feel an integral part of our school community, and leave King’s confident for the next chapter of their educational journey.

Mr Matthew Norbury, Director for International Students at King’s, said: “Mrs Franklin has built on a lifetime of expert international teaching expertise to extend the student experience above and beyond examination success. She provides a nurturing, personal, and secure home away from home for her students. From this trust and respect, pupils yearn to meet her expectations and have the confidence to take risks in both their learning and their co-curricular lives.”

Some information about Mrs Franklin’s teaching career to date from the nominee herself: “Having always been passionate about language and culture, I worked in France and Germany for five years, teaching English. Upon returning to the UK, I taught in a large further education college for over 10 years, helping refugees and immigrants acquire the knowledge they needed to survive in the country. I also worked on the teacher training programme and as a mentor across the college. Whilst here, I joined a school exchange programme and worked as a volunteer in South Africa, near the Lesotho border, training teachers in one of the remotest parts, where HIV and poverty were endemic. The school had no heating or running water but was passionate about helping the children in its care. What inspires me about teaching is the students. Their thirst for knowledge, their questioning of the world around them, and the desire to shape their future means that no two lessons are ever the same. Watching them forge their own identities is truly an honour.”

Vivian, who joined King’s in Year 10 from a school in Shanghai and is now in Year 12, said: “Mrs Franklin’s teaching style is a perfect blend of enthusiasm with understanding. Her lesson plans are a combination of clearly structured content, engaging videos, and playful games. Her vibrant approach makes learning feel effortless, encouraging everyone to focus and absorb knowledge naturally. She also demonstrates remarkable patience, giving equal attention to everyone. Whether it is for prep or classwork, she takes time to talk to each student individually, creating a pressure-free environment where she can highlight everyone’s strengths and areas for improvement, gently yet directly.”

Mariia, who joined King’s in Year 10 from a school in Poland and is now in Year 12, said: “Mrs Franklin does so much more than prepare us for exams. Her lessons are always engaging and supportive, she always comes up with new ideas and games to make us interested, and she creates an environment where everyone feels confident to speak up and not be afraid to make mistakes. She explains things clearly, challenges us to think critically, and genuinely wants us to succeed. When I first moved to the UK, I found it really difficult to settle at first, but Mrs Franklin’s support helped me so much. She is not only an excellent teacher, but also an amazing mentor who inspires her students to aim high.”

Mrs Jane Thomas, Head of King’s Ely Senior and Vice Principal of King’s, said: “Mrs Franklin is totally relentless in helping pupils to develop their English speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills. She works closely with each individual student to nurture their understanding and grasp of subject-specific language. The impact of this has been particularly strong at A-Level.”

When asked to describe her teaching style and approach to learning, Mrs Franklin said: “What is key for me is structure and clarity. Students need to know where the lesson is going and what they will take from it. A successful lesson is one where all students have acquired knowledge and moved forward. Knowing that you care and taking the time to get to know them on an individual basis is a fundamental part of effective teaching. You need to gauge their energy levels and work with them to achieve the absolute maximum from each lesson. Having worked as a cross-college mentor and achieved a post grad diploma in mentoring, I think it is key to take time to listen effectively and to ask probing questions to encourage each student to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses. My teaching style is friendly but demanding! I need to know that they are working to achieve their goals. Each pupil progresses at their own rate and will face different challenges, of which the teacher needs to be aware. Work needs to be graded to their ability, and some students need considerable help starting, whilst others need stretching. Taking time to read the student’s work with them in class is important as they respond well to one-to-one feedback and celebrating their successes in class is crucial for their self-confidence.”

Mrs Kate Mathews, Teacher of ESOL at King’s, said: “Mrs Franklin is a kind and dedicated professional, who always puts the needs of her students at the heart of what she does, creating a supportive learning environment where student voices are heard and valued. Her lessons are carefully thought through and clearly structured, with students being expected to produce the best quality work whilst being stretched and supported at the same time. Her passion for teaching and her ability to connect with individuals goes well beyond the classroom. At lunchtimes and breaktimes, her classroom is often buzzing with students practising for debates, language leader presentations, or just wanting to have a chat, knowing that they will always be listened to and supported.”

Vivian, quoted earlier, said: “I am incredibly grateful to Mrs Franklin for all her support. When I was struggling with my writing as a second language user of English, she always marked my work with exceptional clarity, providing explanations and examples that were easy to understand. Such constructive feedback pushed me to improve effectively. Furthermore, Mrs Franklin does a brilliant job in helping us to understand English culture and worldwide news - an essential part of language learning. Whether she is introducing inspiring topics that are relatable to day-to-day life, or is setting up memory competitions for us, her activities consistently inspire and motivate students to be the very best that they can be.”

Mrs Franklin, who has been teaching at King’s since 2012, has recently taken on leading a major oracy project across the Senior School. She has led INSET sessions on this and provides weekly tips to teachers to help build oracy into their day-to-day practice, which is proving to be extremely effective.

Mrs Franklin is also heavily involved in our co-curricular and outreach programmes, striving to enrich our international students’ learning and experiences at every opportunity.

Mrs Franklin runs our Model United Nations (MUN) programme, which sees her organising several MUN Conferences throughout the year to help develop pupils' oracy skills, confidence, and critical thinking. Students from local state secondary schools and other independent schools are invited to participate in the events. 

Mrs Franklin also runs debating competitions for our students and pupils at other schools to participate in, and she organises an International Concert every Lent Term as part of our International Week celebrations, which enables our international students to showcase their cultures and talents to the whole school community.

Year 13 student, Oynisa, who is from Uzbekistan, said: "The International Concert reflects what our school does best - celebrating our differences and appreciating diverse cultures. The concert has become a fundamental part of International Week at King's, and it is wonderful to see our international community celebrated."

Mr Norbury said: “Mrs Franklin’s impact beyond the classroom is priceless in offering international students the opportunities few would experience elsewhere. Each year, she puts on an International Concert that allows the international school community to shine – students improve their confidence, grow their self-esteem, and the wider school community celebrates internationalism.”

Mrs Franklin also runs the Language Leader Award here at King’s, through ‘Routes into Languages’ at Anglia Ruskin University. This programme enables Senior students to teach their language and culture to pupils younger than them in our Pre-Prep and Prep Schools. However, in true Mrs Franklin fashion, she also organises for our students to visit local state primary schools through the programme too, which benefits youngsters from across the Ely area.

Mariia, quoted earlier, said: “Through MUN and Language Leaders, Mrs Franklin is really helping me to grow as a person. Taking part in these activities is building my confidence and leadership skills, and that is largely thanks to her encouragement and belief in me.”

Mrs Franklin also taught English to a group of Ukrainian refugee families who were supported by King’s recently, enabling them to integrate into the local community.

Never one to rest on her laurels, Mrs Franklin is currently working on another oracy outreach project, which will see Year 9 pupils at King’s working with children at our sister Prep School in Newmarket and two state primary schools in the town, to help them boost their debating and presentation skills.

Mrs Mathews, quoted earlier, said: “Mrs Franklin’s energy and drive is infectious. Not only does it manifest itself in the way her lessons are delivered, but also in a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities that she has created through her hard work and dedication. Mrs Franklin’s tireless work in creating opportunities for international students to showcase their talents is admirable and inspiring.”

Mrs Thomas, quoted earlier, said: “Mrs Franklin is a powerhouse of ideas and inspiration. For pupils, many of whom are far away from home, she provides a listening ear and champions their voice within a diverse school community. She is fantastic at building relationships across schools and sectors – something which is of benefit to us all.” 

Speaking about her Silver Award, Mrs Franklin said: "I feel honoured and very humbled to win this award as there are so many amazing and hardworking teachers out there who are equally deserving. What I enjoy most about teaching is seeing the lightbulb moment when a student finally understands something, helping a student work out what their strengths are and where they want to go, and just getting to know the vast array of different personalities!

"There are so many focused and dedicated students at King’s who are determined to make a difference. I enjoy working with the students who are really posing deep questions about the subject and life in general. And of course my totally amazing colleagues who are always there for me!"

Mrs Franklin has been invited to attend a glitzy Silver Winners’ Afternoon Reception in London in July, and now has the chance of winning a Gold Award!