Teachers from Dyffryn Taf School at Whitland were invited to the Senedd in Cardiff to be presented with teaching awards from Carwyn Jones AM, First Minister of Wales.

The first of these presentations was for the Pearson Teaching Award for 'Secondary School Teacher of the Year in Wales, 2011' and was presented to Mr. Paul O'Neill, teacher of biology and science at Dyffryn Taf.

The second presentation was for the Pearson Teaching Award for 'School Team of the Year in Wales, 2011'. This was presented to the school physical education department, which included Joanne Phillips, Graham Evans, Judith Roberts, Dylan Blain, Bradley Davies, Mark Corby and Lucy Anthony.

Nominations for these awards mainly come from pupils or past pupils which are then supported by schools. Shortlisting by Fellows of the Pearson Teaching Award is followed by a panel of independent judges visiting the school to verify the applications and see colleagues teach.

There were 22,000 nominations for such awards in the UK this year and it is unusual for one school to have the accolade of winning two awards in the same year. Both award winners now go on to represent Wales in the United Kingdom finals on October 30 in London.