The high profile acknowledged nationally of the excellence of education provided by Argyll and Bute Council has been endorsed yet again.

Argyll and Bute schools have four finalists in the prestigious annual Scottish Education Awards which celebrate hard work and innovation in Scottish classrooms.

Alison Currie, Bute and Cowal’s area principal teacher for support for learning, has been named a finalist in the Teacher of The Year category, which recognises teachers who are bringing learning to life by engaging and inspiring all children and young people to fulfil their potential.

Ailsa Cassidy, a youth worker at Rothesay Joint Campus, has been named a finalist in the Education Supporter of The Year category which recognises those who support children, young people, staff and the life of the school and wider community.

Port Ellen Primary School and Lochdonhead Primary School have been named finalists in the Enterprise and Employability Across Learning Award (Primary and Early Years) which recognises the schools that are helping children and young people develop the necessary skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work, essential to learning and education under the Curriculum for Excellence.

Local people across Argyll and Bute have been nominating since earlier this year to help find the area’s brightest education stars.

Argyll and Bute Council’s schools and education staff have been regularly nominated, named as finalists and achieved success in a variety of different categories since the awards were established in 2001 – including winning the much prized ‘Head teacher of the Year’ award in 2006.

The winners of the Head Teacher, Teacher, Probationary Teacher, Education Supporter and Lifetime Achievement Awards will receive a trophy, a certificate and a £500 cheque for their school.

Following the announcement of the winning entrants, awards will be presented at a glittering ceremony, the details of which will be published in due course.