Michael Butcher, of Pembrokeshire College, is to attend the prestigious UK grand finale of the Pearson Teaching Awards, hosted by actor and comedian Hugh Dennis.

Nomination follows the receipt of a Silver Teaching Award earlier this year for his exceptional contribution to the teaching profession

This Sunday, October 23, Michael will attend a glittering awards ceremony at The Guildhall, London, where he will find out if he has won a prestigious UK Pearson Teaching Award, also known as a Gold Plato Award.

Michael was nominated for the accolade by pupils, parents and colleagues in the Pembrokeshire College community.

The ceremony, hosted by star of ‘Outnumbered’ and ‘Mock the Week’, Hugh Dennis, and broadcast on BBC2 on October 30, is an annual event that celebrates the very best of the UK’s teaching profession. It will see 10 Gold Plato awards handed out across categories such as Excellence in Special Needs Education and Lifetime Achievement.

Back in June of this year, Michael was recognised for his exceptional contribution to the teaching profession as one of just 52 Silver Teaching Award winners in the UK, winning his award in the category The Award for FE Lecturer of the Year.

Words are insufficient to describe the effect that Mike’s teaching has on his students; effects which are truly life-enhancing, not only for the students, but also for their families. The rapport that he builds with his learners is based on trust, compassion and total acceptance.

Through a truly unique approach to teaching Mike is able to connect with learners with a varied range of physical and learning disabilities. Through building learner’s trust he allows them to achieve a level of riding ability, skills and knowledge and to achieve industry recognised qualifications that many of the learners and their families would have believed to be beyond their grasp.

Throughout his teaching career, Mike’s commitment to both his learners and his profession has been unparalleled.

The Pearson Teaching Awards is an annual celebration of exceptional teachers and teaching, founded in 1999 by Lord Puttnam, they recognise the life-changing impact of an inspirational teacher on the lives of the young people they teach.