The Leicestershire educator who helped 100 primary school children take Britain’s Got Talent by storm is calling on adults to “change the narrative” around young people as he prepares to judge some of the county’s most inspirational youngsters.
Halil Tamgumus – better known to generations of pupils as “Mr T” – has been chosen as a judge for the Young Hero Award at BBC Radio Leicester’s Make a Difference Awards on Thursday 3 September.
The invitation comes just months after Halil reunited with 100 of his former pupils from Braunstone Community Primary School to take their infectious mix of music, dance and school spirit onto one of the biggest stages in British television.
The children, aged seven to 11, captured the imagination of millions when their Britain’s Got Talent performance earned them the coveted Golden Buzzer and sent them through to the live semi-finals.
But for Halil, now a School Improvement Advisor with Discovery Schools Academies Trust, the experience was about far more than appearing on television.
It was about showing children – and the adults around them – what can happen when young people are given the confidence, encouragement and opportunity to shine.
Now, after reading the stories of youngsters nominated for the BBC Young Hero Award, he says that message has been reinforced all over again.
Halil said: “Britain’s Got Talent showed me on the biggest possible scale what can happen when we stop putting limits on children and instead give them an opportunity to show us what they can do.
“Those 100 children walked onto that stage with courage, energy and absolute belief in one another. What made me proudest wasn’t the television cameras or even the Golden Buzzer. It was seeing them realise that they belonged there.
“Reading the nominations for the Young Hero Award has brought so much of that back to me.
“We hear a lot about young people – what they don’t do, what they can’t do and what they’re supposedly getting wrong. But perhaps, as adults, we need to look a little harder and listen a little more.”
Halil said the nominations tell stories of young people who have demonstrated remarkable empathy, resilience and courage, including youngsters who have faced significant challenges themselves but have still found ways to help others.
He added: “We spend so much time in education thinking about what we need to teach children and young people. Sometimes we need to let them teach us.
“They can teach us about kindness, about getting back up when things are difficult, about caring for other people and about turning difficult experiences into something positive.
“Our youngsters get plenty of bad press. I think we have a responsibility to change that narrative and shine a light on what is right with our young people rather than constantly searching for what is wrong.
“That was a huge part of what our Britain’s Got Talent journey represented for me, and it’s why being asked to judge this award feels particularly special.
“I know how powerful it can be for a young person when somebody says: ‘We see you. We see what you’ve achieved, and it matters.’”
Halil has spent much of his working life in education and today works across Discovery Trust’s community of schools, helping to improve educational experiences and opportunities for children across Leicestershire.
His relationship with the Braunstone pupils captured national attention after his Friday afternoon music and dance sessions, designed to boost wellbeing and engagement, developed into the extraordinary Britain’s Got Talent performance.
The BBC Radio Leicester Make a Difference Awards celebrate people making an exceptional contribution to communities across Leicester and Leicestershire.
Halil will join the judging panel for the Young Hero Award ahead of the ceremony on Thursday 3 September.
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