A Putney teaching assistant has been named one of the best in the country after winning a national award for her work with young performers.
Alice Sheffield, 23, won the Outstanding Support Award for Academy Assistants at the Pauline Quirke Academy’s annual awards, selected from more than 1,200 teachers across the organisation’s 200 UK academies.
Sheffield joined PQA Putney in January 2022 while still a university student and has since completed a First Class degree in theatre and performance from London Metropolitan University. She now teaches musical theatre to six- to nine-year-olds at the weekend academy, which meets at Ark Putney Academy in Pullman Gardens.
Izzi Richardson, principal at PQA Putney since 2020, said Sheffield’s ability to connect with individual children set her apart.
“Alice has some of the best initiative out of anyone I’ve worked with,” Richardson said. “It’s about talking to certain pupils and finding out things about them and using that to build a relationship. Those kinds of conversations might go unnoticed in the grand scheme of teaching but really make a difference to that child’s experience.”
Sheffield’s approach has produced visible results. One child who was initially too afraid to perform in front of anyone — including her own family — ended up on stage at His Majesty’s Theatre in the West End as part of the academy’s annual show.
“The group I work with, it’s a big age of change for them, which is why we see so much growth,” Sheffield said. “It’s lovely to see how different they become.”
With eight years’ experience working with children, including as a Scout Leader, Sheffield said she tries to break down concepts into manageable steps for younger pupils.
“I work with the youngest group that we have, and some of them don’t necessarily understand the concepts as quickly as the older children. So one of the things I try to do is make sure that I’m spending time with each child so that they can understand what’s going on.”
“I want them to feel like it’s okay to ask for help. I think it’s a skill we lose when we become older. I want to give them the tools to be able to reach their goals themselves.”
The recognition also came from PQA’s site visitor Andy Smith, who observed Sheffield’s teaching in April 2025 and noted her ability to support learning without overshadowing the lead teacher.
“She helps to facilitate learning in a really smooth way, making it accessible to everyone,” Richardson added. “It’s a real gift to teachers and to me too.”
PQA was founded in 2007 by Birds of a Feather actress Pauline Quirke MBE and her husband Steve. The Putney branch opened in 2018 and currently has around 40 pupils and six teachers. Sessions run every Saturday from 9:45am to 1pm and cost £92 per month, with children rotating through comedy and drama, musical theatre, and film and television classes.
Richardson said the academy’s student-led approach sets it apart. “We listen to what the students tell us that they’re interested in and what they want to do,” she said. “The module plan is an outline, almost like a facilitator’s guide, and the pupils can input as to what they would like to focus on within that.”
Richardson said the smaller size creates a close community. “We are quite a tight-knit unit, so there’s a bit of a family feel.”
Sheffield, who also performs professionally — most recently co-producing the immersive theatre piece Voltage — said she hopes to continue teaching at PQA while pursuing her own acting career.
“It’s really nice to be recognised. I love theatre, and I think performing arts is such an incredible tool for children to become more confident adults. So to be able to continue facilitating that would be great.”
Free trial sessions are available. Contact izzi.richardson@pqacademy.com.
