by Rachael Woods

The waiting is finally over in the Kent Teacher of the Year competition and the winners have been notified.

You sent in nominations in the hundreds for your favourite teachers across a range of categories – Primary, Secondary, Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT), Science, Teaching Assistant and Head Teacher – and these teachers will be attending the presentation evening where they will find out which award they have won.

Local winners have been selected for each area of the county and from these overall champions of the teaching profession will be named on the night.

The event will take place on Wednesday, July 8 at historic Howfield Manor Hotel, near Canterbury where guests will celebrate the very best in Kent teaching.

Sponsors of the Kent Teacher of the Year awards will also attend the special event, including Canterbury Christ Church University, Denne Construction, Pfizer, Hays Education, Kent County Council, Howfield Manor Hotel and Independent Music Productions.

This is the seventh year that the Kent Teacher of the Year awards has been staged and this year there were more than 300 nominations. The event is highly respected as identifying the hallmark of teaching excellence in the county.

Kent Teacher of the Year Awards organiser Simon Dolby said: "We would like to thank all readers of KM Group publications and kmfm listeners for supporting the awards and sending in nominations by the hundreds.

"They have become a key event in the teaching calendar and a chance for parents, colleagues and pupils to show individual teachers just how much they are valued by the community."

Winners list:

Canterbury winners: Mrs Rachel Bates, Kingsmead Primary School; Ms Vanessa Sims, Canterbury High School; Ms Rebecca Huckle, Canterbury High School; Ms Laura Phillips, Canterbury High School; Ms Rachel Meehan; The Canterbury High School; Mr Phil Karnavas, Canterbury High School and Ms Francesca Grossfield, Wincheap Primary School.

Dover winners: Mrs Carol Johnson, St Martin’s Primary School, Dover and Mrs Joanne Hogben, Sandwich Infants’ School, Sandwich.

Medway winners: Mrs Nina Reason, New Road Primary School, Chatham; Mr Graham Richards, Abbey Court School, Strood; Ms Jackie Sieber, Chattenden Primary School, Rochester; Mrs Christine Pinner, St Mary’s Island Primary School, Chatham and Mr Feeney, Chatham Grammar School for Boys.

Swale winners: Mr Tony Hadfield, Regis Manor Community School, Sittingbourne; Mrs Sandra Browning, Teynham Primary School, Teynham and Ms Claire Gibson, Kemsley Primary School, Sittingbourne.

Thanet winners: Mr Ben Rothwell, Chatham House Grammar School for Boys, Ramsgate, Mrs Michelle Palmer, St Laurence’s Junior School, Ramsgate, Miss Joanne Baker, St George’s CE Foundation School, Broadstairs; Ms Amber Pearce, Cage Green Primary School, Tonbridge and Mr John Matthews, formerly of Chatham House Grammar School.

South Kent winners: Mrs Rebecca Wilding, St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, Ashford; Ms Rachel Taylor, Godington Primary School, Ashford; Mrs Lynda Gauthier, Brook Community Primary School, Ashford; Ms Sally Lewis of Elham Primary School, Elham and Mr Gavin Mills of Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre, Tenterden.

Dartford and Gravesham winners: Mrs Liz Knott, Sedley Primary School, Southfleet; Mrs Davina Grant, Wrotham Road Primary School, Gravesend and Mr Josh Bloom, The Leigh Technology Academy, Dartford.

Maidstone winners: Mrs Margaret Lowdon, St Francis Primary School and Mr Ian Wesson, Invicta Grammar School.