Volunteer readers help primary pupils who are struggling with the written word; amateur gardeners keep the grounds in shape; governors make sure the school is working properly; and parent-teacher associations raise extra funds.

Now the area manager of a charity which looks after some of these unpaid heroes is encouraging people to thank them – by nominating them in the Kent Teacher of the Year Awards 2018.

Malou Bengtsson-Wheeler, south east area manager for Beanstalk, which recruits, trains and supports reading volunteers, said: “We’re here to champion all the fantastic volunteers who help out in schools, and we are really thrilled to celebrate their successes.”

She added: “We feel that they offer lots of support to schools, who are in a very difficult financial climate – and it’s about bringing the community into schools, so they don’t feel they are operating as a separate entity.”

Anyone who works at a school, whether paid or unpaid, can be nominated for an award – and nominations can be made by anyone associated with a school, including staff, governors, parents, and pupils.

A panel of judges will choose the winners for each district, plus overall champions, in a wide variety of categories including primary teacher, secondary teacher, newly qualified teacher, non-teaching staff, volunteers, and teams.

The judges will include representatives from Kent County Council, Medway Council, the University of Kent, Kent Sport, Canterbury Christ Church University, the University of Greenwich, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment, Medway Youth Trust, Social Enterprise Kent, CXK, Salus, LoopCR, Kreston Reeves, and Diggerland.

Winners will be announced at a prestigious awards ceremony staged at the Mercure Great Danes Hotel in Maidstone in May.

For more information or to nominate someone, visit www.kentteacheroftheyear.co.uk before the March 1 deadline.

Schools can promote the Kent Teacher of the Year Awards in school and to their external contacts using the promotional materials available for free download at this link: http://sforce.co/2qup7BC