TWO teachers from the Forest and Wye Valley have scooped top places in the BT Teaching Awards 2003.
Pam Howell, formerly at Drybrook County Primary and now head teacher at Soudley, and Brenda Despontin, head teacher of Haberdashers Monmouth Girls School, received their awards at a special ceremony on Friday.
Pam was named West Region Teacher of the Year in a Primary School, and Brenda gained the Promethean Award for School Leadership in a Secondary School.
"I was thrilled to be nominated by the parents at Drybrook – it is a wonderful pat on the back after 14 years in the job," said Mrs Howell. "It was a complete surprise – at first I thought it was a wind-up!"
The judges said Pam was "an exceptionally talented teacher who gives generously of her own time and efforts".
And they said Brenda was "a brilliant teacher" and a "courageous, dynamic and awesome role model".
Both will go on to contest the national awards on October 26 which will be televised by the BBC.
"The awards are one of teaching's highest accolades," said a BT spokesman. "Candidates are chosen by our judges from hundreds of nominations from 386 schools nationwide representing 13 regions."
Regional winners receive a £2,000 cash grant for their schools plus £1,000-worth of ICT equipment. National winners take a further £13,000 cash and £10,000 in ICT equipment.