Colerne teacher Ian Perks picked up a top award this week, fending off competition from 9,000 other nominations.

Mr Perks, 38, has been a teacher at Calder House School, in Thickwood Lane, which caters for children with dyslexia and dyspraxia, for five years.

He was successful at the south west Teaching Awards, which were held in Bath’s Assembly Rooms on Tuesday, and picked up a distinction – second place in the Royal Air Force Teacher of the Year in a Primary School category, which was the most fiercely contested.

Mr Perks, who lives in Melksham, said: “I really have to accept this award as part of an excellent team at the school – right from the principal Mrs Agombar at the top, down to Shirly the cleaner. Everyone works so hard for the children.

“When I told the kids I had won the distinction, they wanted to know why I wasn’t first, like kids do. Now they want me to try again next year for the first place, but really this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am overjoyed.”

Mr Perks was joined at the glitzy ceremony by former Countdown presenter and maths genius Carol Vorderman, as well as BBC presenter Ali Vowles and Baroness Shirley Williams, who ran a workshop on the day.

The father-of-three added: “It was an excellent day and it was great to be stood next to Carol Vorderman.

“She shared many anecdotes of her own childhood.

“Clearly teachers had made a large impact on her so she really emphasised the need for teachers to inspire children to move up the social mobility ladder.”

Mr Perk’s nomination, highlighted by last week’s Wiltshire Times, came from the principal and founder of his school Sandra Agombar, who said: “With over 9,000 nominations in the south west he has done fantastically well and we are all incredibly proud of him. On the morning of the ceremony Ian wanted to come in to teach for the first hour but I said ‘Ian, have the day off’. That is just how dedicated he is to his pupils.

“The ceremony itself was great. They called up the finalists and then they shouted out their names in reverse order. It was wonderful because everyone clapped and cheered for them which made for a great atmosphere.”

Now Mr Perks says it is back to the day job but he will allow himself a few days to bask in the spotlight of his success.