Honours for top 10 teachers

Sara Brigg won best primary school teacher award

Britain's most inspiring teachers have been publicly acclaimed for their work in this year's Teaching Awards.

The 10 national winners were presented with Gold Platos on Saturday at a special ceremony at the Theatre Royal in London's Drury Lane.

Award winners 2002

Outstanding new teacher: Kesner Ridge

Primary teacher of the year: Sara Brigg

Secondary teacher of the year: Martin Williams

Lifetime achievement: Elizabeth Pescops

Science teacher: David Mason

Primary school leadership: Diane Maple

Secondary school leadership: Robert Jennings

School and community involvement: Robert Huck

Excellence in special needs teaching: Janet Bourne

Teaching assistant of the year: Penny Jones

They each received a trophy and prizes worth £25,000 for their schools.

The awards - known as Platos - were created in an attempt to boost the morale of teachers and to improve its status as a profession, with an emphasis on gaining positive publicity for the work of classroom teachers.

The award for best new teacher went to Kesner Ridge, 24, whose "raw talent" in the classroom at Aylesford School in Warwick impressed the judges.

"She is either mad or brilliant, but there was a lot of love in the room," said one judge.

"From the very start of the lesson she had the whole room in her hands. We were putty," said another.

Kesner Ridge has "raw talent"

Ms Ridge was praised for her ability to inspire pupils of all ability and he "can do" ethos.

The prize for best primary school teacher went to Sara Briggs from Castlefields Infant School in Brighouse.

Miss Briggs was singled out for her creativity in organising events such as a themed lunch, a family assembly, a science challenge and a dance club for pupils and parents.

The award for best secondary school teacher went to history specialist Martin Williams.

Mr Williams, from St Cenydd School in Caerphilly, was praised for his skill in producing teaching materials, such as visual effects, quizzes, slides, animation and photomontage.

Dr Robert Jennings won an award for secondary school leadership

The award for lifetime achievement went to Elizabeth Pescops from St Paul's Catholic Primary School in Portsmouth.

Mrs Pescops has taught three generations of families and judges found she was widely regarded as a surrogate mother figure.

Janet Bourne was rewarded for her work as primary outreach worker at a pupil referral unit in Waltham Cross.

Mrs Bourne took the award for excellence in special needs teaching for stimulating "even the most truculent child".

Estelle's appearance

The former Education Secretary, Estelle Morris, made an unexpected appearance at the ceremony and received a standing ovation.

Ms Morris said the evening was the nicest she had had in several weeks.

She stressed that she had not resigned last week because of teachers, and believed in what they were doing.

The awards ceremony is due to be televised on Sunday 3 November.