Wonderful Wendy Crockett from Alderman Blaxill School in Colchester has scooped a national award for her special teaching skills.

Live on BBC1 on Sunday night Mrs Crockett was presented with the Railtrack Award for Excellence in special needs teaching in a secondary school at the prestigious 1999 Teaching Awards.

At the Alexandra Palace ceremony - hosted by Stephen Fry and Gaby Roslin - the nation heard about the "unparalleled excellence" of the learning support unit at the Shrub End school.

Alderman Blaxill, where Mrs Crockett has taught for 22 years, will now benefit from £20,000 prize money handed to her by Sir Robert Horton of Railtrack.

She thanked her colleagues, the learning support department, parents and the children who she is "so proud of."

The department houses one of three dyslexia units in Essex and many pupils have learning difficulties. It was one of the first schools nationally to be awarded the quality mark for basic skills in literacy and numeracy.

Mrs Crockett, the school's special education needs co-ordinator, has already won £3,500 for the school as winner of the regional award last month.

David Fletcher, chairman of governors at Alderman Blaxill, who attended the ceremony, said: "I think it's a wonderful award for Wendy's hard work for the last 22 years and a reward for the department."

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