A WOLVERLEY educator has been named as the Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School at the prestigious Pearson National Teaching Awards.

Kerry Poole, PSRE subject leader at Wolverley CE Secondary School, was one of 20,000 teachers nominated for the award, which had been narrowed down to just 59 finalists.

Kerry, who lives in Stourbridge, attended the glittering award ceremony at London’s Guildhall at the weekend where she was announced as the Gold Plato Award winner, receiving her prize from actress, Jessica Hynes.

“I am thrilled and overwhelmed to have won the award - it has come as a complete surprise,” she said.

“I love my job immensely and I’m always surprised by my students and their insightful and mature comments.

“RE is such an amazing subject to teach as it helps children make sense of things and allows them to ask why."

Kerry said she was inspired to become a teacher after being taught English at Haybridge High School, in Hagley, by Caroline Hoddinott - the school’s current headteacher.

“Being a teacher had always been my dream," she said.

"Caroline was always so inspiring and spurred on my ambition."

During the awards, which celebrates and recognises outstanding educational professionals in schools across the UK, it was said Kerry engages all learners so that they achieve far beyond their own expectations and her positive outlook and can-do approach extends across all aspects of school life helping those in her care grow in confidence and self-esteem.

Bryn Thomas, Wolverley headteacher, said: “Everyone at the school is delighted for Kerry.

“She has been at Wolverley CE Secondary School for nearly 10 years and in that time has become an integral part of the school.

“She inspires and always gets the best out of the students which was highlighted in this year’s GCSE results, which saw 45 per cent of her students gain an A* or A.”

The Pearson National Teaching Awards ceremony will be broadcast on BBC2 at 6pm on Sunday, November 2, in a programme entitled Britain’s Classroom Heroes.