If you do just one thing this weekend make sure it’s to place a nomination for the Kent Teacher of the Year Awards. The deadline is this Sunday, March 8.

The awards shine a spotlight on the people who are making a huge difference to schools in Kent and Medway whether they are teachers, dinner ladies, head teachers, office managers, PTA members, governors or volunteers.

There is a huge range of categories - for individuals and teams - so that parents, pupils and colleagues can nominate any school representative they can think of for an award.

The winners will be invited to a glittering awards dinner organised by the KM Group’s charity department and staged at Leeds Castle on May 19. Supporters including guest of honour David Starkey, renowned historian and television presenter, will be on hand to congratulate the cream of the crop of Kent’s schools.

A record number of organisations have announced their support of the awards including the Marlowe Theatre, Leeds Castle, Christ Church University, Southern Educational Leadership Trust, Project Salus, Brachers Law, William Giles Chartered Accountants, Social Enterprise Kent, CXK, Kent Sport, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment, Kent County Council, Medway Council, and the following departments at the University of Kent: Politics and International Relations, Psychology, Mathematics Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, Physical Sciences, Biosciences, European Culture and Languages, and History.

Simon Dolby from the KM Charity Team made a final call for nominations saying: “Nominating is very easy - just fill in the short and simple online form to show your appreciation for an unsung member of staff.

“You can put forward individuals or teams whether they are support staff, volunteers, management or teachers. There is a category for anyone you can think of.”

To nominate, visit www.kentteacheroftheyear.co.uk and complete the short online form by this Sunday, March 8.