A BURY teacher has been honoured after being shortlisted for a major national teaching award.

Zoe Leyland has been shortlisted for a Pearson Teaching Award, as the New Teacher of the Year, amid celebrations for the national Thank a Teacher Day to highlight appreciation of school staff.

In June 2020, the young teacher joined Summerseat Methodist Primary, part of Epworth Education Trust.

And since then she has helped remould the school through passion, commitment and zeal.

Headteacher Julie Whittaker said: “Children in her class make excellent progress - but most of all they have fun.

"Zoe inspires a love of learning by always going the extra mile, and her impact has been palpable in her own classroom and across school more widely.”

After being shortlisted, Zoe will attend a programme which will be broadcast on the BBC, in what has been called the “Oscars of the Education Sector.”

This is an opportunity to celebrate work done by school staff who went above and beyond during the pandemic.

Sharon Hague, Senior Vice President of Schools at Pearson UK, said: “After a year like no other we want to take today to say thank you to all the incredible school staff who have kept children and young people learning despite unprecedented challenges.

“We hope the celebrations show how much you are appreciated, and that your hard work has not gone unnoticed or unrecognised."