Mark Pollard was a deserved finalist in the Headteacher of the Year category for his tireless work to turn the fortunes of Bishop Perowne CE College around.

Mr Pollard, who has been at the school for nearly four years, saw the school move out of special measures to now be rated as “good” by Ofsted.

He said: “I feel very humbled because the turnaround at Bishop Perowne has been a huge team effort.

“The school has been on a huge journey and I am delighted that the work we started nearly four years ago is now really paying off for the students.”

Under Mr Pollard’s stewardship, the school went from “inadequate” in its 2017 Ofsted report, to “good just a year later.

Inspectors said that the school had improved “in every aspect” and that the school is now a “calm and purposeful place with pupils consistently respectful to one another and staff.”