Last week, 29 education professionals from across Wales were revealed as finalists of the third Professional Teaching Awards Cymru.

The awards were created to celebrate the commitment, dedication and hard work of teachers across Wales. Over a hundred nominations came in from pupils, colleagues and parents and now the best of the best has been shortlisted for an award.

The winners from each of the ten categories including Outstanding New Teacher and Headteacher of the year will be announced at a special ceremony at Soughton Hall in May.

The Outstanding New Teacher award will recognise a teacher who demonstrates enthusiasm and excellence within the classroom, whilst showing early leadership qualities and continued professional development. The Headteacher of the Year award will go to an individual who is exceptional at their job, whilst demonstrating an ability to engage the school in the wider community and make a real difference for every pupil.

Education Minister Kirsty Williams said:

As ever, the calibre of nominations is astounding, and it is truly humbling to see yet another group of inspiring finalists.

Part of our national mission is to raise standards of education and make everyone proud to study in Wales. At the heart of the system are the teaching professionals.

“Every day teachers, support and business staff are all making a real difference to the lives of our young people and it’s vital that we recognise them for their contributions.

The finalists are a credit to the profession. They should all be exceptionally proud of themselves and I am very much looking forward to meeting them all in May to celebrate their hard work.”

To be the first to find out the winner on Sunday 19 May watch on Facebook ‘Live’ and visit gov.wales/professional-teaching-awards-cymru and keep an eye on the Education Wales social channels @WG_Education

Join the conversation with #TeachingAwardsCymru