A WOMAN said she was overwhelmed to be awarded with the Special Needs (SENCO) Award.

Beverly Blower, from the Aspire Academy in Worcester, was triumphant in last year’s SENCO category.

Mrs Blower has been at the academy since it opened in 2014 and was praised in her nomination as someone pupils could always go to with their concerns.

As part of her role, Mrs Blower’s door is always open for pupils, many of whom have not been able to remain in mainstream schooling.

She said: “I am overwhelmed and really proud of the team effort from everyone at Aspire.”

The SENCO award goes to those who make a difference to the lives of pupils with complex and diverse needs and recognises those who go the extra mile to ensure they are there to help, whenever they are needed.

In Mrs Blower’s case, she regularly calls during out of office hours and makes sure any concerns raised by pupils and parents are addressed as soon as possible.

She added: “Quite often, if I have an adult in my office and a pupil comes in for a talk then I will prioritise them and make sure I see them instead. A lot of these pupils have been excluded from mainstream schooling and have very different needs so they open up to you it is really special.

"I don't do my job for praise or accolades, I do it because I want to help young people."