THE work of a Tavistock headteacher has been honoured at a regional awards ceremony celebrating all that is good in teaching.
Mags Long, headteacher at St Rumon's, won the South West regional teacher of the year award for leadership in a primary school.
She was presented with her 'Plato' at a glitzy ceremony in Plymouth's Guildhall last Thursday.
'I was absolutely taken aback — gobsmacked. The whole thing was very overwhelming,' she said.
Mrs Long said the awards celebrated all the good work done in teaching and was modest about her achievement — she said all the plaudits could so easily have applied to thousands of her colleagues.
And Mrs Long was grateful for the support she had from every quarter throughout her 13 years at the school.
'Leadership is only as good as the team you have to work with. I'm also grateful for my team at home — my husband and family — without their support I couldn't be the happy leader I am,' she said.
The awards were the idea of film director David, now Lord, Puttnam to pay tribute to, and celebrate the achievements of teachers, and to encourage others to enter the profession.
Nominations for the awards are sought from teachers, governors and parents each year, who provide testimonials. Some of Mrs Long's came from parents whom she once taught at nearby St Peter's.
Independent inspectors also visit the schools to make their own assessments. The awards are then made by an independent trust using private money provided by sponsors such as Lloyds TSB and the Guardian.
All regional finalists won £500 and regional winners win an extra £3,500 for their schools.
Winners in the national finals, to be held at the Millennium Dome in October and televised live on BBC2, will take home an additional £16,000.
Mrs Long is planning to use the money to improve the security system at the school and to create a new reception area by roofing in an outdoor section between two of the Victorian buildings.