Ann Samuel and Aileen Doherty have been put forward as top examples of everything that’s good about their roles.

Mrs Samuels retired after years of hard work as a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator at Leighton Primary School, in Orton Malborne.

After retiring in December, the 60-year-old returned to the school to help children with their gardening skills.

Headteacher at the school Philip Stewart put Mrs Samuel up for the Environment Award of The Evening Telegraph’s Education Awards.

On nominating the ex-support worker, Mr Stewart said: “The school grounds at Leighton have developed dramatically in the past year.

“The thing that makes it very special is that much of it has been built using ideas developed by the children themselves.”

Mr Stewart said that the grounds are inviting and described as an “oasis” by many of the visitors.

Mrs Samuel was delighted to learn that she had been nominated, but insisted that she is just like all of the other teachers in the school.

She said: “Our garden has improved a lot, there has been a lot of development and we now have a vegetable garden.”

Mrs Samuel comes in during lunchtimes to assist the 15 to 20 children who regularly attend the gardening club – which grows a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Once the vegetables and fruits have been picked they are taken into the kitchen where the cooks will use them in the children’s food.

Mrs Samuel said: “Children are constantly rewarding, seeing them develop and suddenly take an interest in something is worthwhile in my job.

Mrs Doherty from The Phoenix Special School, in Orton Goldhay, was put up for The Evening Telegraph’s Outstanding Teacher Award by a pleased parent.

Mrs Doherty has been Rachel Dhillon-Carolan son’s teacher for the past two years.

Mrs Dhillon-Carolan’s son is 12 and has profound learning difficulties.

She said: “When my son first arrived at the Phoenix he had very little confidence in his abilities and would refuse to work, believing he couldn’t do it.

“Aileen got to know him as an individual and used his personality to help teach him, letting him know how much his input into class was valued.”

She said that in the time her son has been with Mrs Doherty and her team, he has learned to count to 10, learned his primary colours and has become a confident, happy child.