A primary school teacher has received a prestigious award at an event that celebrated exceptional teachers across the country.

Michael Patient, from Tollgate Primary in Plaistow, was among colleagues who attended the event at the House of Commons to honour teachers who have won a Silver Teaching Award in 2014.

The awards are sponsored by Pearson and celebrated exceptional teachers from across the UK. He won his trophy in the category for Outstanding New Teacher of the Year, after being shortlisted from a record number of over 20,000 nominations made by grateful pupils, past and present, parents and colleagues.

Michael will now join 59 fellow Silver Award winners at the UK final of the Teaching Awards at London’s Guildhall in October, where 11 Silver Award winners will receive a Gold Award.

He said: “It was a complete surprise. I knew that I was in the running for something but to be awarded the Silver Teaching Award was a complete surprise.

“This is my first year as a teacher and I think it is all about my incredibly supportive network at Tollgate Primary - the children, the head, the teaching staff and the teaching assistants.”

Michael is a local man who grew up in Beckton and went to Calverton Primary School in Canning Town. He spent several years as a teaching assistant at Tollgate primary before the head teacher, Tom Canning OBE, advised him to take the next step.

Rod Bristow, President of Core Markets at Pearson, said: “Everyone can remember a teacher who inspired and challenged them so it’s important to say thank you. It is great teaching that makes the biggest difference to learning and that’s why great teachers must be recognised.”

The Pearson Teaching Awards are open to every school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They were established by Lord Puttnam CBE in 1998 and are managed by the Teaching Awards Trust, an independent charity. The Trust’s mission is to celebrate excellence in education.