A TEACHER from the town will going for gold at the UK grand final of the Pearson National Teaching Awards in London.

Rory Lees-Oakes from Warrington Collegiate will attend the prestigious event having already been recognised for his contribution to the profession as one of 64 Silver Teaching Award winners.

The ceremony takes place at the Royal Opera House in London’s Convent Garden on October 18 hosted by TV historian Dan Snow and filmed by the BBC.

Rory said: “I’m overwhelmed, it’s such an honour.

“It’s great to be recognised by the college, my fellow teachers and especially the students.

“It’s all about making sure they have the best learning experience that I can give them.”

The awards are an annual celebration of exceptional teachers and will see the announcement of 11 Gold Plato Award winners.

Founded in 1999 by Lord Puttnam the award recognises the life-changing impact of a teacher on the lives of their students.

Emma Thompson, actress and president of the Teaching Awards, said: “I am genuinely proud and honoured to be associated with the Teaching Awards.

“I owe so much of what I’ve done to my fantastic teachers at school and university and it is exciting to join in a celebration of the profession that’s probably the most important of them all.”

Rod Bristow, President of Pearson UK, added: “We are so proud to support the Teaching Awards and I’d like to offer a huge congratulations to the 2015 winners.

“Whatever changes in education, it will always be the teacher with the ultimate power to engage and inspire.

“Great teaching makes the biggest difference to learning and it’s incredibly important that we take this moment each year to recognise this.”

The ceremony will be broadcast on BBC2 at 6pm on October 25 as Britain’s Classroom Heroes.