A local authority is backing the Head Teacher of the Year award to celebrate excellence in leadership and reward head teachers who are improving their schools to support pupil achievement.

Trumpeting the county’s top teachers Anton Francic of Kent County Council said: “Staff who work in schools whether they are teachers, teaching assistants, senior managers or middle managers do make a difference. They are important to the success of their schools and the children that attend them.”

Simon Dolby of the KM Charity Team, which is organising the awards, said: “Its important to celebrate the hard work, quality, passion and dedication we know exist in our head teachers. Teachers cannot nominate themselves but they can put forward their co-workers for an award. Members of the public are also being encouraged to submit nominations and the categories include primary, secondary, newly qualified teacher, teaching assistant, non teaching member of staff, and volunteer.”

The 2017 Kent Teacher of the Year Awards will be staged at the Mercure Great Danes Hotel, Maidstone in May when around 50 school representatives will be honoured.

The judging panel will include representatives from Kent University, Kent County Council, Christ Church University, CXK, Medway Youth Trust, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment, Social Enterprise Kent, Project Salus, Kreston Reeves, LoopCR, Trust Careers at Medway Youth Trust, Hornby, Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, Kent Libraries, Kent Sport, the Mercure Great Danes Maidstone, and Beanstalk.

To nominate before the March 1 deadline, visit www.kentteacheroftheyear.co.uk.