A STOURPORT teacher has won the West Midlands headteacher of the year award.

Liz Quinn, of Stourport High School and VIth Form Centre, picked up the gong during a ceremony last Friday, after being nominated by staff and pupils.

A panel of judges visited the school in March and spoke to parents, students, staff and governors to help them make their decision. It was not until the ceremony, at the Heritage Motor Museum, Gaydon, however, that Mrs Quinn discovered she had won.

“I’m absolutely delighted and surprised to have won the award,” she said.

“Two year seven students nominated me separately, which was nice. They had to write a testimonial to the judges, who decided which school they wanted to visit.

“They came and visited the school for the day and interviewed parents and kids and went on to the school website.”

She added: “The ceremony was terrifying. It’s like a mini version of the Oscars. When the second person was announced, I realised I had won and I had to make a speech.

“My heart was thumping and my legs were shaking but I was absolutely thrilled. I was proud, especially for the school, because this award is not for me, it’s for the whole community.”

After joining the school in 2000, Mrs Quinn had to accommodate an extra 750 students following the reorganisation of middle schools in the district in 2007.

“We have all worked so hard over the last few years,” she said. “This is a kind of a symbol to say we’re trying really hard.”

The school was recently rated as outstanding in an Ofsted report and Mrs Quinn said the pupils were “absolutely thrilled” that she had won the award.

She explained: “I think the school has been through tough times. Sorting out the reorganisation and getting an outstanding Ofsted report helped people realise how much we have improved.”