LONG-SERVING individuals who have helped to inspire and motivate youngsters can be nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award.

This special honour is aimed at recognising and celebrating a special person who has helped people to achieve their best.

The winner is likely to be, but doesn’t have to be, a teacher or head teacher who is approaching the end of his or her career or recently retired.

This positive legacy will be the result of years of striving with a clear sense of purpose to improve learning opportunities for pupils, colleagues and staff.

Enthusiasm, commitment and leadership will be the hallmarks of a lifetime’s work that has encouraged pupils, colleagues and parents and, at the same time, had an impact on the wider community as well as individual schools and the youngsters in them.

Frances Clements, last year’s recipient from St Thomas’ CE Primary School in Blackburn, ticked all those boxes and more. She was nominated by fellow teacher Mubeen Ainarkar who said: “If I can one day recreate just a tiny fraction of the joy and inspiration she has brought to so many young lives, I will consider myself to be extremely fortunate.”

An ability to engage others and a dedication to continuing personal development for colleagues and children are also qualities looked for by judges in this category.

If you know someone who fits the bill and produced outstanding results we want to hear from you.

Nominations should contain as much detail as possible and supporting information can also be included submitted with it along with the names of other people who may be willing to endorse the application.