'We call her Miss Honey' - Bucks teacher nominated for teacher of the year award

Mrs. Rolfe, who teaches at Hyde Heath Infant School, is described by parents of her reception class as a modern-day Miss Honey from the film Matilda.

She has been nominated by 5-year-old Haider Rahman and his mum Sanam Shabab.

In his nomination, Haider wrote: “When I started school, I didn't want to learn anything. I wanted to play in the park and play computer games. She showed me things that I didn't know; we fed the birds outside, and we had frog spawn.”

Mrs. Rolfe is known for encouraging her children to take an interest in the environment.

“She developed an eco-council; there are student eco councillors, and she teaches the kids how to look after the environment. She has bird feeders, and the kids are responsible for keeping them topped up.” Haider's mum, Sanam, said.

Sanam detailed how Mrs. Rolfe brought in some frogspawn for the children to watch grow. Once the spawn had grown into frogs, she and the children released them back into the school pond.

Sanam continued, “I have five kids; I’ve met my fair share of teachers, and you can tell when someone is genuine. She just goes the extra mile.”

Collection Pot’s Teacher of the Year competition 2025 aims to celebrate the exceptional dedication of teachers, teaching assistants, support staff, and headteachers in schools across the nation.

The winner will be announced on July 4.