WITH nominations beginning to roll in for our Teacher of the Year award, now is the perfect time to put forward an outstanding candidate worthy of recognition.

A great teacher is one of the most important people in a child’s life and in the Cotswolds and north Wiltshire, we are blessed with inspirational teachers who we want to celebrate for their skill and dedication.

The Standard’s Teacher of the Year competition invites every school in the area – primary and secondary; state, academy and private – to put forward one member of staff who they see as a beacon of all that is good about the profession.

It could be a teacher, head teacher or teaching assistant, and we want staff and pupils to have a say in who the school nominates.

Once a school has chosen their nominee, we will profile them in the Standard, giving their colleagues and pupils a chance to say why they are so special.

Then, after every school has nominated a teacher, we will hold a public vote to find our Teacher of the Year, with one winner for the Cotswolds and one for north Wiltshire.

The prize will be a meal for two at a local restaurant and a trophy, and we want everyone to vote, whether you ’are a pupil, parent, teacher or just someone who cares about quality education.

To nominate a teacher, grab a copy of the Wilts and Glos Standard, fill in the form and post it to Teacher of the Year, Wilts & Glos Standard, 74 Dyer Street, Cirencester, GL7 2PW.

Deadline for nominations is May 7.

Standard editor Michael Purton said: “Our competition is about celebrating those teachers who go above and beyond the call of duty to guide their pupils through both their education and the challenges that come with growing up in modern Britain.

“Although ultimately there will be two winners, our main focus is to highlight the outstanding work of teachers in our area.”

The Teacher of the Year competition is being supported by Gloucestershire County Council, Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown and North Wiltshire MP James Gray.

Cllr Paul McLain, GCC cabinet member for children and young people, said: “Teaching really is one the most important jobs there is and certainly deserves to be recognised and celebrated.”

Mr Gray said: “An excellent teacher can have a profound influence on the way we grow as people as well as helping us achieve good academic results.”

Mr Clifton-Brown added: “Teachers in The Cotswolds do a fantastic job and they don’t ask for praise or recognition, so we owe it to them to celebrate their great work wherever we can.”