Members of the judging panel for the Kent Teacher of the Year Awards are urging families and schools to nominate while there’s still time.

The deadline to vote for standout individuals or teams making a real difference to their schools is Thursday, March 1.

Joanne Winkler of Kent County Council said: "It's not just teachers but volunteers, teaching assistants and everyone who works for the school. This is just one way that we feel teachers and volunteers can be rewarded for their work in education."

Catriona Jamieson of Medway Youth Trust is also keen to see individuals rewarded for their efforts.

"MY Trust work really closely with schools across Kent and Medway,” she said. “We see firsthand the amount of pure passion, dedication, and hard work to secure really good outcomes - and the best education for young people."

For Richard Langshaw of LoopCR, the subject of IT is of particular interest – both for teachers encouraging IT as a career and for the day to day work of IT support staff in schools.

"With IT being so important in the world nowadays, it's important that children learn how to use it,” he said. “But also we need more people to take up IT support - particularly girls, because it's one of the things in which girls are particularly under-represented.”

The awards, organised each year by the KM Group’s charity department, are open for nominations at www.kentteacheroftheyear.co.uk until March 1.

Categories cover all subjects for primary and secondary school teachers, further education teachers, newly qualified teachers, non-teaching staff, volunteers, and teams.

Anyone can place a nomination including members of school staff, parents, and pupils.

Winners will be rewarded at a glittering awards ceremony at the Mercure Maidstone Great Danes Hotel in May.

Dominic Di Cara, general manager of the hotel, said: "We're delighted once again to be hosting the awards - a fantastic event with over 50 schools represented from the length and breadth of Kent."

Also judging the entries will be representatives from Medway Council, Kent Sport, Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent Further Education, the University of Greenwich, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment, Social Enterprise Kent, Beanstalk, CXK, Salus, the University of Kent, Kreston Reeves, and Diggerland.

Follow stories about Kent Teacher of the Year on Twitter @KMCharityTeam and #KMTOTY.