A TEACHER who works with children with special educational needs has won a prestigious regional award.

Now, Debbie Prigg is off to the national finals of The Teaching Awards and has a chance to increase the £2,000 prize money she won for the school to £15,000.

The 48-year-old received the Award for Special Needs Teaching for her work with five to nine year-olds at Westlands First School, Droitwich, where nearly half the pupils have special educational needs.

"I'm really staggered," said Mrs Prigg, who has been involved with teaching for 27 years.

"The award is really nice for us as a school, and for this community, because it's so positive. I'm really thrilled about it."

The judging panel interviewed Mrs Prigg, who lives in Droitwich and has worked at the school for five years, along with parents, governors, colleagues and the headteacher before coming to its conclusion.

"This teacher has allowed Emma to be Emma, and not the little girl with Downs in class three," said one parent.

She has also been responsible for many new schemes introduced in the school.

These include a social skills teaching programme, the school council, introducing Molly the language puppet, and also sign-along learning, to help communication with hearing-impaired children.

The awards, in connection with BT, have been designed to highlight excellence and honour outstanding teachers. They cover England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are split into 11 categories.

The school has not yet decided how to spend the cash, but has until September to tell the Awards Committee.

The UK final ceremony will take place on Sunday, October 28, at the Theatre Royal, London, and will be broadcast on BBC1 in November.