Nicole Ash -Nursery / Primary Teacher of the Year, Bevois Town Primary School

Nicole Ash, 26, has been in education for four years.

And it's working in a multicultural school that is one of the highlights for her. She said: "I like the fact that I can make a difference to children's lives. I enjoy working in a multicultural school, I get to see the huge amount of progress the children make across all areas of their learning including their social and emotional development and the wider curriculum."

But she said the challenges come mainly in the form of academic achievement. She said: "There is a lot of pressure on teachers and children to achieve with tests for six year olds. It's also difficult to have a good work life balance as I commit a lot of hours to teaching outside of work to be a good teacher to feel that I am doing the best for them."

But she added: "The best thing about my job is the children. I love to see their faces light up when they understand something for the first time, particularly when they've worked so hard to achieve something. Recently I saw a child jump out of her seat in excitement when she realised how to add coins together to make amounts. I love their imagination and curiosity as they connect all of their learning."

She was nominated by Mrs Sapna Vohra, after Mrs Vohra's daughter had a critical injury while skating. She said: "The way Nicole cared for Ashmin was astounding. Ms Ash's positive attitude made our daughter do very well in school."