Nicki Chapman, who presented Andy Bell with the BT Award for Teacher of the Year in a Primary School

'I've got two teachers in my family and my sister has been a primary school teacher for about 15 years. I really can appreciate what a difficult job it is and what an effect you can have on children's lives.

'I had a teacher called Sister Agnes who taught me confidence. I was the sort of pupil who got A for effort and C for achievement and I actually left school with three O levels. But I didn't ever feel like a failure.'

'One of my teachers used to say to me: 'You're going to be a star!' I still see her and she says: 'I told you, I told you'. That means a lot.

'Today I'm a governor at my old school and I love it. Now I have a huge responsibility because I'm on the committee to appoint a new headteacher.'

National winner Anne Hegarty and TV presenter, Angellica Bell

Dame Kelly Holmes presented Dennis Richards with the Tedd Wragg Award for Lifetime Achievement, sponsored by The Innovation Unit

'In my role as National Sports Champion I see first hand the great work teachers are doing up and down the country and I do feel that they're not recognised.

'I also had a brilliant PE teacher who influenced my athletics and who was a role model. I know how powerful teachers can be in a young person's life. I wanted to be at the Teaching Awards, to be part of their big day.'

Thank you from Teaching Awards HQ for the many messages of support we've received since the winners' weekend. Here are some of them:

'After 37 years and a lifetime achievement award, you gave me the time of my life.' Vince Evans, winner in the West Midlands of the Ted Wragg Award for Lifetime Achievement, sponsored by The Innovation Unit.

'I have loved every minute of the entire process… I was delighted that the judges for my category were practising teachers.' Mark Lewis, winner in the East of England of the TDA Award for Outstanding New Teacher of the Year.

Vince Evans with Estelle Morris and BBC TV presenter Ashley Blake

Surprise welcome home for Gundi

Gundi Shaw, national winner of the Award for Special Needs Teacher of the Year, caught a plane to Austria and was amazed to be greeted by a reception party at Linz airport.

Welcomed with champagne and flowers, she was publicly congratulated on her achievement and her special expertise in helping children with autism at Woodford Valley CE primary school in Wiltshire.

Thanks to her husband Chris, a youth worker, we can show you Gundi's surprise moment arriving in her home country, where her four siblings are all teachers.

Maureen Perry, former headteacher of St Mary and St Benedict's primary school, Coventry and winner of the DCSF Award for Healthy School of the Year in 2006, sent a regular blog to friends and family – whenever she could get a connection and power cuts allowed.

Maureen enthused about the thirst for education in a country where primary schools are operating shift systems to accommodate huge pupil numbers – as many as 2,500 in one school they visited.

Winners were 'wonderfully received' and even felt obliged to eat two lunches on one day, such was the generosity of schools. 'We are being thoroughly spoilt!'

Class of 20006; (left-right) Maureen Perry, Ceri Evans, Hilary Cook, Maurice (facilitator), Gerry Curran and Tracy Stone

Teaching Awards presents the Butterflies book

The notion is linked to chaos theory, which suggests that if sufficient butterflies whirred their wings in the Amazonian rain forests a tornado might ultimately result many miles north in the United States.

One example – called 'PE for everyone' – encourages all pupils to get involved in sports teams, whether it's putting away the ground flags or taking kit home to wash. Captains of teams aren't always players – but they can rally enthusiasm and plan strategies. It's a school where 'sport for all' is not just a phrase.

Professor Tim Brighouse, who has written the introduction, encouraged 'butterflies' in Birmingham schools when he was the city's director of education. As former chair of the TA national panel of judges, he's still passionate about passing on simple but effective ideas.

Speakers will include Peter Wright, winner of the Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2005 and Karen Lewton, Special Needs Teacher of the Year from the North East and Cumbria in 2007.

All 80 seats are now filled but please contact poppyo@teachingawards.com if you have ideas for future seminars. Our mission is to spread the excellent practice of all finalists and create opportunities to share expertise.

Peter Wright receiving his award from Lord Bragg

Caroline prepares for her flight

On 25 September Caroline Haynes, headteacher of Tendring Technology College at Frinton-on-Sea and winner in the East of England, took a dozen Year 10 pupils to RAF Honington in Suffolk.

The visit included a tour of the Regimental Museum and lunch in the Officers' Mess, followed by team-building exercises. Earlier Caroline had visited Cambridge University Air Squadron where she flew in a Tutor aircraft, used for elementary flying training in the RAF.

Their headteacher enjoyed a one-hour flight in a Tutor aircraft where she was allowed to take the controls and carry out a selection of aerobatics. 'I really enjoyed the flying,' said Jo, 'though I think you need a strong stomach! QK students had a great day out.'

As winner of the national Award Jo will now be offered the opportunity to fly in a Red Arrows Hawk jet.

Jo gets ready to take to the sky

BETT is the world's leading educational ICT event, taking place 9–12 January 2008 at Olympia, London. Attracting over 600 educational suppliers and close to 30,000 visitors, BETT brings together the global teaching and learning community for four days of innovations and inspirations.

BETT 2008 is the place to see exciting ideas, the latest technology, practical solutions that can have an immediate impact, and new ways to put ICT at the heart of education.