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Jon Stone, Senior Study Programme Manager for the Military & Protective Services (MaPS) Academy at Duchy College Stoke Climsland

12th May 2025

Educator of the Year finalist

More news from Duchy College

We are delighted to announce that Jon Stone, Senior Study Programme Manager for the Military & Protective Services (MaPS) Academy at Duchy College Stoke Climsland, has been named as a finalist in the NCFE Aspiration Awards.

The Aspirations Awards, which were launched in 2018, celebrate the successes of learners, apprenticeships, educators, support staff and educational organisations from across Britain.

Jon has been nominated in the Educator of the Year category, which recognises teachers who have gone above and beyond to support their learners. Hundreds of educators were nominated for the prestigious award, with just 10 finalists shortlisted.

Jon has been teaching at Duchy College since 2013, where the MaPs course helps people to prepare for careers in the armed forces, the police, the ambulance service, and search and rescue.

Before moving into teaching, Jon served in the British Army for a total of 25 years, where he was deployed numerous times and took on a number of roles – from weapons and tactics instructor to intelligence analyst. He still has strong links with the army, and is also the Poppy Appeal Organiser for Callington and District too.

Jon brings this wealth of knowledge to his teaching practice, ensuring that students have a real and deep understanding of what working in protective services entails. Along with day-to-day teaching, Jon also organises exercises that not only test students’ knowledge, but their grit, determination and their integrity – traits that will be essential in their future careers.

Jon said: “I’m really passionate about my work. I learnt a lot from my time in the forces – particularly the lived experience of things like being on patrol, experiencing riots, dealing with casualties and fatigue – and I want to pass on the knowledge I’ve gained.

“Working in the military and protective services can be life or death, so I see it as a moral obligation to help the right people get into the right roles.”

Jon’s commitment to the role is well appreciated by his students, who really value him as a teacher.

Fraya Brealey, studentFraya Brealey, who is studying the Level 3 Entry to the Uniformed Services NCFE Diploma, said: “I think Jon is a really good teacher. He not only cares for us, but he pushes us to do the best we can because he believes in us all and wants us to succeed in our future careers.

“He’s always amazing helping with coursework or if we need advice on applications, or just generally someone to speak to about issues we have going on.”

Kieron Swiderski, who is also studying the Level 3 Entry to the Uniformed Services NCFE Diploma, said: “Jon is amazing. He’s a fun teacher and you can have a laugh with him. He’s also easy to talk to – if you need something, you can always go to him.”

When asked why he thought that he might have been nominated for the role, Jon said: “The students get me. I don’t have a poker face and I’m not a shouty person: they know what I am thinking and that I am always helping them try to improve. Because of that, the students trust me, and are happy to talk to me about what’s going on in their studies and in their life.”

While Jon is extremely pleased to be nominated for the Educator of the Year award, he is keen to praise his fellow colleagues and the amazing campus at Stoke Climsland.

Jon said: “I truly believe that we are the best course in the country; the whole team has an amazing amount of knowledge and experience, and we have a phenomenal resource here at Stoke Climsland. We have so many acres to play with here, and the freedom to do activities like mud runs and arrest operations, as well as full-scale, multi-day operations.”

The winners of the NCFE Aspiration Awards will be announced later this summer. For more information, follow us on social media.

Click here for more information on our Military & Protective Services Academy.

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