THE Telegraph & Argus decided to start the Bradford and District Schools Awards as an antidote to the negative publicity education and teachers sometimes receive.

We wanted to shine a light on the unsung heroes in the classroom, from the dedicated teachers to the hard-working volunteers, and show the fantastic work that is being done.

Of course, we have never shied away from reporting the difficult issues education in Bradford faces, but that cannot be allowed to overshadow the hundreds of brilliant professionals who work in our schools along with their many unpaid comrades.

MEET THE WINNERS OF THE TELEGRAPH & ARGUS SCHOOLS AWARDS 2016

Last night’s awards were a celebration of them.

It was a night to forget the league tables, for a moment at least. Those who took part show just how much hard work is being done at grassroots level in our schools every day.

The dedication, inventiveness, innovation and achievement is astonishing. Those who saw the videos highlighting all the nominees at last night’s ceremony will attest to that.

These awards gave the whole community the chance to say thank-you to those who put so much time, effort and energy into giving our children every opportunity to achieve and better themselves.

We’d have liked to give an award to everyone who entered – what we certainly can do is say a very public well done to them all.

Yes, there is work to be done to improve Bradford’s educational performance – what these awards have shown is that we have a wonderful pool of talent who will surely ensure the district continues to improve that performance.