All of the support staff at Bushfield Community College in the Orton Centre have been put up for the award by the principle Eric Winstone.

On nominating the large group, Mr Winstone said: "In the past few years the number of support staff working at the college has increased and they have a range of roles and responsibilities including teaching assistants, mentors and behaviour workers.

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"All of these people enable teachers to get on with their job of teaching and provide valuable support to pupils."

The school's recent Ofsted report said the college provides "outstanding care, guidance and support and this leads to the students achieving their potential and enables them to develop into mature young people with positive attitudes to learning."

Mr Winstone said the positive report was testimony to the outstanding work that the support staff does.

He said: "It would be wrong to single out any one person for this award. Teamwork is essential for success and the support staff at Bushfield has demonstrated this in abundance."

Teaching assistant at the college, Julie Wilderspin was delighted to hear about the nomination.

She said: "It is so nice to have a bit of recognition for what we do, it is such a friendly school to work in and everyone is very committed to the children."

Mrs Wilderspin said that all of the support staff have a brilliant sense of humour, and if one is feeling down they will offer encouragement.

She added: "We are very passionate about what we do at the school, and we want the best for the pupils. We are a very special team."

Penny Yallup, who has been a teaching assistant at the school for the past 10 years, said that the staff are all terrific.

She said: "We go out and do what is needed, we are all here for the children and at the end of the day we just love the job."

Mrs Yallup said that one of the most satisfying parts of the job is when a pupil who has been struggling with a word, suddenly comes out and says is properly.

She said: "You see a big smile on their face and they can't wait to come and say to you 'I did it'. It is so hard to describe how that makes you feel."