Here is a list of the winners at the Pearson Teaching Awards 2012
Award for Outstanding New Teacher of the Year - Dr Elizabeth Bailey, Clacton County High School, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.
Dr Bailey began her teaching career as a trainee at Clacton County High in 2010, becoming head of English in her second year.
The teacher, who has a doctorate in her subject and still writes academic papers on English literature, is known for organising trips to the cinema and theatre as well as revision groups, and once ran a sports day race in a dress and a borrowed pair of trainers.
Dr Bailey was nominated by a former pupil as a thank you for helping her to win a place to study English at Cambridge University.
The school’s headteacher, Jeff Brindle, said Dr Bailey “is special - she has a deep love of English literature that shines through everything she does and inspires and motivates both pupils and staff.”
• Award for Headteacher of the Year - Anne Bull, Weston All Saints Church of England Primary School (WASPs), Weston, Bath.
Mrs Bull has been head of WASPs for more than 20 years, during which time the school has tripled in size and a new building has been created for junior-age pupils.
She is said to believe that expressive and creative arts are central to a child’s learning, and is known for directing arts performances herself.
Mrs Bull has also worked with catering staff to make over school meals, and revamped the school grounds to include a lake, island, treasure cave, reed beds and story-telling circle.
One pupil told judges: “Mrs Bull is a great headteacher who helps us find our talents and improve them until they are perfect.”
• Award for Teacher of the Year - Nathan Kemp, Tollgate Primary School, Plaistow, East London.
In his six years at Tollgate Primary School, which is in one of the capital’s poorest areas, Mr Kemp has gained a reputation for inspiring both pupils and other teachers.
Judges who visited the 28-year-old’s classroom described it as “a magical wonderland” and said his teaching was “electric”.
Mr Kemp, who has said that he always wanted to be a teacher, is now an assistant headteacher and also works at Tollgate’s children’s centre coaching parents in literacy, numeracy and ICT.
He has been helping to set up links with schools overseas, and recently visited Tollgate’s sister school, Green Village, in Bangladesh.
• Award for Teaching Assistant of the Year - David Bonnington, Aylsham High School, Aylsham, Norfolk.
Former store manager Mr Bonnington began working at Aylsham six years ago, and is said to have made a huge difference to many youngsters’ lives.
Judges described Mr Bonnington as a lifeline, and said that without his support “many students would have dropped out, been excluded and would not have achieved”.
They added that the teaching assistant, who is now in his 50s, has taken to the job “like a duck to water”.
He is known throughout the school, which caters to around 1,000 11-16-year-olds, for his helpfulness and patience and for sticking to the motto on his noticeboard that reads: “Keep calm and sparkle”.
• Award for Further Education (FE) Lecturer of the Year - Irene Megaw, South Eastern Regional College, Newtownards Campus, Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland.
Mrs Megaw gave up a career in banking to become an FE lecturers in County Down.
She now teaches students of widely differing abilities and ages on a number of courses, and spends at least half her time with unemployed adults who are required to attend work preparation courses.
Mrs Megaw is said to be “exceptionally gifted” at reaching the most disadvantaged young people and adults who are on Government-sponsored schemes for the unemployed.
The student who nominated her said: “Irene is hard but in a good way and she’s just making sure you do your work. However she’s there when you need to talk to her about personal things.”
• Award for Outstanding Use of Technology in Education - Ben Tipton, Sacred Heart RC Primary School, Westhoughton, Bolton.
The 32-year-old joined Sacred Heart as a newly qualified teacher four years ago, and is now part of the senior management team, as well as coaching the school football team and running after-school classes in maths and English.
Pupils at the school now use video cameras, sound equipment, software and the web on a daily basis.
He has introduced new technology such as student radio programmes and “praise pod emails” which are sent directly to parents to show children’s good work.
Judges said that Mr Tipton’s ICT expertise had been “instrumental in transforming Sacred Heart’s culture and in its rapid development to become an outstanding school.”
• Award for Outstanding School Team of the Year - Staff and Governors at Oxley Park Academy, Milton Keynes.
Oxley Park Academy opened to 100 pupils in 2005 and since then has grown to cater for more than 500 youngsters.
Visiting judges were greeted by the entire school taking part in their daily performance of “the Oxley Haka”, which is based on the traditional dance or challenge of the Maori people of New Zealand.
The two parents who nominated the school’s 85 staff and governors said that their teamwork has “exceeded all expectations” and is “a breath of inspirational air.”
Local shops and businesses have been encouraged to be part of school life. This year 90% of the school’s 11-year-olds achieved at least a level 4 - the standard expected of the age group - in English and maths.
• Ted Wragg Award for Lifetime Achievement - Lorraine Stobie, Southcraig Campus, Ayr, Scotland.
Mrs Stobie is known as an expert in the education of children and young people with profound learning difficulties and complex physical conditions.
She has had a 35-year career working in her hometown of Ayr, which has culminated in taking on the headteacher’s role at Southcraig Campus, an all-age special school.
Parents told the judges that Mrs Stobie had made it possible for them to experience joy in sharing their children’s achievements, while her colleagues described her as a “visionary”.
The 56-year-old is an expert speaker at conferences and has raised tens of thousands of pounds for her schools and children’s charities.