A KIDDERMINSTER headteacher will be honoured at a special Downing Street reception celebrating exceptional school leadership.

Dave Seddon from Baxter College will be one of 90 school leaders at Number 10 on Thursday.

The event recognises the role these individuals play in supporting struggling schools, as National Leaders of Education (NLE).

Gordon Brown, Prime Minister, and Ed Balls, Secretary of State for children schools and families, will greet the NLEs, along with senior staff from the National College for School Leadership (NCSL).

NLEs use their success and professionalism as school leaders to provide additional leadership to struggling schools. NCSL selected Baxter College as a National Support School (NSS) in September 2006.

The NCSL scheme has seen improvements in exam results at both the school receiving the support, as well as the school providing it, since its inception in 2006.

There are now 124 NSSs led by NLEs across the country and another recruitment round is planned to further expand the scheme.

Toby Salt, NCSL's strategic director of school leadership development, said: "I am so proud that these school leaders are being honoured in this way.

"NLE's, supported by their schools, are working extremely hard to ensure that excellent school leadership and the best possible opportunities are available to as many children as possible."

He added: "More than 30,000 children have now benefited from the scheme, and grades at supported schools have seen unquestionable improvements.

"This is thanks to the hard work and dedication of all those involved in our National Support School scheme."