IT was gold stars all round for teachers who were honoured at the first-ever awards ceremony of its kind in the town.

The Swindon Education Excellence Awards held at STEAM Museum last week celebrated and promoted excellent local teaching.

A total of 27 awards were presented across six categories at the ceremony, which was organised by Swindon Borough Council and sponsored by Zurich Municipal.

Award winners were presented with trophies and prizes by Coun Fionuala Foley, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for children’s services, mayor Eric Shaw and David Jones, national education manager at Zurich Municipal.

A group of 11 teachers were selected to receive Swindon Teacher Excellence Awards, including Neil Withers and Ania Nind, from Kingsdown School.

Head of history Mr Withers, 32, who was a pupil at the school and did his teacher training there, said: "I am humbled that I have got this award but you can only teach well with the support of others and I am grateful that I have that from colleagues, pupils and their parents.

"Every day is different, new and exciting and the best part of it is when ex-students get in touch and tell me how well they are progressing."

Mrs Nind, who teaches design and technology, was nominated for the award by the school's former assistant headteacher Alison Evans, who recently passed away.

"This is a very special day as Alison was so inspiring," Mrs Nind, 39, who has taught at Kingsdown for eight years, said. "Getting the award was totally unexpected and I am over the moon. Design and technology is a very special subject as it is one where children's personalities really emerge."

Kelly Winter, who teaches four- and five-year-olds at Robert Le Kyng Primary School, also won a Teacher Excellence Award.

Mrs Winter, 38, who has taught at the school for 16 years, said: "I was thrilled and delighted to be nominated for this award and was amazed to be one of the winners. It is brilliant that so many teachers in Swindon are being recognised for their hard work in this way.

"No teacher goes into teaching to win prizes but I love my job and I really enjoy working with children so they are ready for their future school years."

Joanne Thompson began teaching 11 to 16-year-olds French and German at Nova Hreod Academy two years ago, through a link-up with charity TeachFirst, which partners with schools in lower-income areas all over the country.

She won the TeachFirst Teacher of the Year Award and said: "I am really privileged and totally surprised to have won this award - teaching is challenging but I absolutely love it and the kids are just delightful."

Miss Thompson, 24, who decided to become a teacher after doing voluntary work with children in Cambodia, added: "I originally wanted to be a nurse but the volunteering I did made me want to be a teacher and I absolutely love it."

The winners were:

Swindon Teacher Excellence Awards:

• Gareth Bailey from Chiseldon Primary School

• Katherine Westcott from Lethbridge Primary School

• Claire Harmer from Lethbridge Primary School

• Lisa Turner from the EOTAS Team at Stratton Education Centre

• Mel Shepherd from Dorcan Academy

• Pebbles Morley from Dorcan Academy

• Neil Withers from Kingsdown School

• Ania Nind from Kingsdown School

• Caireen Young from Churchfields Academy

• Franca Carbone from St Joseph’s Catholic College

Swindon School Good Practice Awards:

• Westrop Primary School

• Millbrook Primary School

• The Oakfield Project

• Chiseldon Primary School

• Oakhurst Primary School

• Greenmeadow Primary School

Swindon School Achievement Awards:

• Ferndale Primary School

• Nova Hreod Academy

• Swindon Academy

• Uplands School

• Lydiard Park Academy

Two Special Contribution to Swindon Education Awards were also given to Chalet School headteacher Kathie Bryan and Steve Colledge, former headteacher at The Ridgeway School and Sixth Form College.

Two Silver Healthy Schools Awards were presented by Cherry Jones, Swindon Borough Council’s director of public health, to Holy Family Catholic Primary School and Westlea Primary School.

Pupils at Holy Family undertook a programme of monitoring their sugar intake, resulting in a sustained improvement in healthy eating habits while students at Westlea Primary were encouraged to eat, grow and cook healthy food, which contributed to raising attainment.

Coun Fionuala Foley said: “Celebrating success is extremely important and it is brilliant that so many teachers came together at the awards ceremony to be honoured in this way.

“Being a teacher can be a very challenging job in a number of ways, however it can also be an extremely rewarding role, by seeing pupils progress and thrive because of the work that is done with them.

“These new awards are an important part of how we recognise the dedication and achievement of our teachers and it is a fact that the input teachers have really plays a big part in ensuring our young people have the very best start in life.

“We want to continually improve the standard of teaching in Swindon and recognising the hard work that is done through an awards ceremony is an excellent way of showing the local teaching community that their efforts are hugely appreciated.”

David Jones, National Education Manager at Zurich Municipal, said: "From our perspective we are absolutely delighted to be supporting the Swindon Excellence Awards - we see ourselves as enablers to allow the real business to be done, which is educating children. I congratulate all of the winners of these awards - they have done a fantastic job."