The Duchess of Cambridge, met award-winning teacher UK Cypriot Andria Zafirakou on Tuesday when she visted Alperton Community School in London where Andria is an art and textiles teacher.

Duchess of Cambridge

Andria Zafirakou was awarded (£766,000) in prize money and the 2018 Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize, which recognises an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession.

Andria Zafirakou

The art and textiles teacher, who works at Alperton Community School, learnt how to say basic greetings in many of the 35 languages spoken at the school to help parents feel welcome.

Andria Zafirakou who recently was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s honours list has done so much at Alperton Community College. The school is in Brent, an inner city area of London. It’s one of the UK’s most ethnically diverse – and disadvantaged – places.

Andria Zafirakou was born, in London. Her mother, Anna, is Cypriot and her father Greek who is well known in the community Father Georgios Zafirakou, the priest of the Greek Orthodox church of All Saints in Camden, London. is Greek.

The winner of the Global Teacher Prize 2018 faced a daunting task when she joined the school. The challenges of poverty, gang violence and engaging young people from such a diverse range of backgrounds were all too clear. But throughout the school and on the streets she is driving change.

On the same day the Duchess of Cambridge visited Lavender primary school in Enfield earlier in the day.