TEACHING isn’t easy. When a pupil fails to grasp a concept the first time, it’s up to their teacher to try again. And again, until they do get it.

The finest teachers don’t give up. They persevere with every child, patiently explaining an idea until he or she succeeds.

Great teachers are doing fantastic work in classrooms every day. They don’t do it for praise or public recognition. They crave nothing more than getting the most from their pupils.

The very best teachers can turn an illiterate child into a life-long bookworm, a disinterested student into a passionate scholar and a maths ignoramus into a numerical intellectual.

But teaching can be a thankless job sometimes.

That’s why, with the help of Bradford Council, we set up the Schools Awards to shine a spotlight on achievement and to celebrate the best and the brightest that the district’s education system has to offer.

At the time we didn’t know what to expect. Would natural humility prevent teachers and schools putting names forward for the awards? Would parents even have the time to play their part in the nomination process?

In the event, that first year was a tremendous success. Nominations flooded in across every category, and our fears about not having enough nominees were replaced by the pleasant task of whittling down the long list to a short list of finalists for each award.

Since then, the Schools Awards have gone from strength to strength with every year being stronger than the last.

And 2017/18 has been no different. Thanks to a diverse range of nominees across drawing up the final shortlist of in each category has been a tremendous challenge.

Of course, teaching is a team effort. These days classroom success isn’t down to just one person and we mustn’t forget how much we owe to teaching assistants, students and parent volunteers who also enrich our children’s learning environment.

When we act in unison, reinforcing positive behaviours and rewarding effort, the results can be truly transformative.

At the T&A, we know that education in Bradford is far from perfect and we are duty bound to report on the times when schools or results are not as good as they might be. But it is just as important that the great things happening in our schools every day are recognised.

That’s why I am delighted to continue to support the Schools Awards and to celebrate excellence in our classrooms.

Whatever the result on the night, there are no losers and we salute the achievements of all the nominees. They truly are the best of the best.