Tributes have been paid to an 'inspirational' teacher who continued working after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, as her former English department was named the best in the country.
Shamimara Uddin, 37, was hired by Forest Gate Community School in Newham in 2013, when GCSE results were below the national average. She turned the department around by running extra classes after school and at weekends.
In 2015, Ms Uddin was diagnosed with incurable stomach cancer and given weeks to live, but she refused to give up her job, saying 'teaching is my world'. She died in August 2017, the same year her department achieved the best GCSE results in the country.
Principal Thahmina Begum said: 'There have been many inspirational teachers, but it all starts with Sham Uddin. She brought work ethic, going the extra mile and belief in our students.'
The school, which serves one of the most deprived communities in London, has now been in the top five in England for results for four consecutive years.
