Dame Carol Black and Teacher Support Network Chief Executive Julian Stanley.

Teacher Support Network marked the 10th anniversary of their free, confidential Support Line last night at the Houses of Parliament.

Barry Sheerman MP, Chair of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, and Vernon Coaker MP, Minister of State for Schools, both spoke at the event, as well as Zoe Speakman, a teacher who had used the Support Line and Julian Stanley, Teacher Support Network Chief Executive.

Over a hundred people, including teachers, trade unionists, civil servants and others from education attended the event in the Terrace Pavilion.

As well as marking 10 years of the Support Line, which has dealt with 15,555 calls over the last 12 months alone, the occasion was used an opportunity to celebrate the profession and the contribution that teachers make to society.

Zoe Speakman talks about the support she received through the Teacher Support Line.

At the event, Mr Sheerman said: “I don’t need any recommendation for Teacher Support Network. It’s a darn good organisation that does a wonderful job for the profession…Let’s remind ourselves that teaching is the best job in the world, but it is also one of the most stressful jobs in the world, and we’ve got to give every support we can to the teaching profession.”

Teacher Support Network Chief Executive Julian Stanley said: “Last night was a terrific success. Teachers play such an important role in everybody’s lives and were very proud of how much the phone line and our other services have been able to support the profession over the last 10 years.

Barry Sheerman underlines why it is so important to support one of the best but also one of the most stressful professions.

“We were very lucky to hear contributions from the ministers and Zoe – and to have so many friends from across education and beyond join us for the occasion. The ministers were right to highlight the importance and rewarding nature of teaching, whilst Zoë’s story reminded us of the huge challenges that teachers face and the continuing importance of providing emotional and practical support to the profession.

“Over the next decade, we will ensure that our services continue to provide teachers with this critical support. We will also use the expertise gained through contact with thousands of teachers every year to influence national and local policies in order to improve teacher wellbeing and win the recognition they deserve for playing such a vital role in the lives of young people.”

High-resolution photos of the occasion are available at Flickr. We are still adding captions to the photos, so do contact us if you're looking for information about a particular one that we have yet to get to.