KENT teacher Ian Lockerby has been rewarded for his tireless work in raising the profile of school sport.

Mr Lockerby was awarded the Teacher of the Year accolade at Canterbury and District Sports Awards presentation evening.

The Bridge and Patrixbourne Primary School teacher has organised football, cricket and hockey teams for the pupils, as well as introducing them to less mainstream sports such as volleyball, golf and softball.

He said: “Children get numerous physical benefits from sport, but there is also the psychological side to it because it helps them feel good about themselves.

“There is also a lot of research at the moment which shows that physical activity is linked to good academic performance.”

Mr Lockerby, who is a former British Tae Kwondo champion, admitted he had not been expecting to receive the award. He said: “I was surprised because my head teacher nominated me without my knowledge."

He said the school also encouraged pupils to develop their sporting interests further by guiding them into specialist clubs.