TEACHERS from Kent were among those honoured at a special ceremony on Thursday.

The best teachers from across the South East gathered at Canterbury Cathedral for the seventh South East Regional Teaching Awards presentation.

The ceremony was hosted by BBC Radio Kent's John Warnett and was attended by the Sheriff of Canterbury Cllr Lewis Norris, NCPTA chief executive David Butler, and Teaching Awards chief executive David Hanson.

Judith Marsden, from Slade Primary School, Tonbridge, walked away with the award for Special Needs Teacher of the Year.

Sandi James, who teaches at Allhallows Primary School in Rochester, received the accolade of Teacher of the Year in a primary school.

Martin Saffrey was named as Headteacher of the Year in a primary school for his work at Briary Primary School, Herne Bay.

Another Kent head teacher to receive an award was Richard Wallis, who was named as Headteacher of the Year in a secondary school.

Mary Edwards, who works at Whitstable Junior School, was honoured as the Outstanding New Teacher in a primary school.

And in the current climate of concern for the health of school children, Jennifer Spittles, from The Howbury Centre Pupil Referral Unit, Erith, won the award for Healthy Schools in a secondary school.

Mr Hanson said: "Teaching Awards winners are ordinary people doing an extraordinary job, day in and day out.

"We believe that there is no greater responsibility than teaching the next generation and that these people deserve recognition at a local and national level.

"The Teaching Awards offer everyone the opportunity to thank those unsung heroes of teaching who make a real difference to pupils' lives."

Sponsors of the awards included BT, the Guardian, the DfES Innovation Unit, Promethean, the RAF, the Teacher Training Agency and the South East England Development Agency.