You don’t have to be a classroom veteran with years of educational experience to have a chance of winning one of this year’s Kent Teacher of the Year Awards.

That’s the message from three of the judging organisations.

Representatives of judging organisations Canterbury Christ Church University, Specialised Sports Products and financial services firm Kreston Reeves are urging people to send in nominations now, and have pointed out that there are categories for individuals at all levels of experience– including non-teaching staff.

Each organisation is spearheading the search for winners in a different category: the university is seeking nominations for newly qualified teachers; Kreston Reeves is looking forward to finding outstanding school business managers; and Specialised Sports Products is overseeing the sports category.

Organised by the KM Charity Team, the awards aim to showcase the dedication and innovation of benchmark educators from across Kent and Medway.

There will be separate awards for the county as a whole, its different districts, and for primary, secondary and further education.

Kreston Reeves’ Louise Thrower said it was “a privilege” to be involved in the judging process, adding: “The school business manager is a role that is so valuable and so overlooked. What they do to run those schools every day is incredible really.

“And because of the financial pressures that they have, people just don’t realise the struggles that they’re facing and how much work and how much effort that goes into turning those schools around.

“So I’m really interested in reading the nominations this year. I can’t wait to see what people are going to say.”

Canterbury Christ Church University senior lecturer Julie Evans said: “Canterbury Christ Church University has been involved with the Kent Teacher of the Year Awards since its inception 20 years ago.

“This year, we’re very proud to be sponsoring the newly qualified teacher of the year award.

“However, if you’ve got any other members of your teaching or support staff that you’d like to nominate, please go to the website www.kentteacheroftheyear.co.uk.”

And Calla Marenghi of Specialised Sports Products said: “We are honoured to be representing the category of sports at the Kent Teacher of the Year Awards this year.”

The other judging organisations include Kent Further Education, the University of Greenwich, Kape HR, Thinking Schools Academy Trust, KCS, The Education People, Loop CR, Streetspace, Diggerland, Salus and Three R’s Teacher Recruitment.

Nominations must be submitted by 11.59pm on March 1. And the winners will be revealed at a ceremony at the Ashford International Hotel in mid-May.

To submit nominations, or to find out more about the awards, visit KentTeacheroftheYear.co.uk now.

And watch a video in which the judges talk about the awards here: