A former Telford College student who is running a top school in Moldova has been shortlisted for a new international award.

Rob Ford, a miner’s son who became chief executive and director of the Heritage International School in Moldova, has been shortlisted as a finalist for the “International Prinicipal/Headteacher of the Year” award at the first ever TES Awards for International Schools.

“These awards highlight the most outstanding schools and teachers the global education community has to offer,” Mr Ford told the Shropshire Star. “Not bad for a Madeley boy.”

He added: “I see my role at Heritage very clearly as being able to enable others to lead, to place academic excellence at the centre of all we do for the students and it is a privilege to serve the teams and community I work with as we continue to make Heritage one of the best schools in Europe.

“This nomination, our academic success, establishing the first international school in Moldova and recent similar announcements such as being shortlisted for the PIE Awards Secondary category in 2023 and Deputy Academic Director, Tatiana Popa, named by ISC as one of the top 20 ‘edrupters’ globally in education, last week, all point to the road to outstanding as an international school in Europe, we are on.

“We have come a long way, achieving a great deal, in a short space of time, facing a number of serious challenges, especially as we are still less than seven years old.”

The shortlisted finalists have been selected by a panel of judges including school leaders, experts, and education researchers. The shortlisted schools and teachers are representing 36 countries across the world. The winners will be announced on April 25.

Dan Worth, international editor for TES Magazine said: “The TES Awards for International Schools give our inspiring international education colleagues across the world an opportunity to celebrate educational innovation and success in a raft of important areas.

“The shortlist highlights some incredible achievements across the sector and showcases the best that international schools delivering either the British Curriculum or International Baccalaureate have to offer across the world.”

Mr Ford is a coal miner’s son and former Telford College student. He studied history, politics, law and economics at the college’s former King Street campus from 1989 to 1991.

Raised in Madeley, he has gone on to live and work all over the world including stints in Siberia, Indonesia and Canada before taking up his current post in the eastern European country.

His time at Telford College led onto a politics degree at the University of York and a successful career as a history and politics teacher and senior leader.