A MIDDLE school in Redditch has received two nominations for this year’s Worcestershire Education Awards.

St Bede’s Catholic Middle School is in the running for Primary School of the Year, while a second nomination sees headteacher Lloyd Roberts in the running for the Headteacher of the Year crown.

Mr Roberts, 50, who started at St Bede’s five years ago, has undergone open heart surgery four times since he was a child but is still an active sportsman, playing cricket for Stourport regularly despite having a graphite valve in his heart.

Reacting to the award nomination, Mr Roberts said: “It is lovely news to hear that we have been nominated for not one but two awards, it really is testament to a great community at the school.

“Our guiding principle as a senior leadership team is the belief that every child is unique and special, and that we need to give them opportunities to fulfil their potential – and I think being a Catholic school does lend itself to that emphasis on pastoral care.

“We are also a very open and honest school too. If there is a complaint or a criticism, we don’t just dismiss it, we take it on board and see what we can do about it.

“Of course it is a team effort in school, and our senior leadership team is ambitious and courageous when it comes to running the school.”

The nomination for St Bede’s praised the school’s academic results, pastoral care and general teaching and learning standards, saying results were the best in years.

The deadline for nominations is April 18.

Finalists are chosen by a panel of judges and winners will be announced during an awards ceremony in June.

For more on the awards, visit worcesternews.co.uk/awards/worcestershire_education_awards.