A WIRRAL science teacher with “boundless enthusiasm” has been shortlisted for a prestigious award in the Oscars of education.

Mick Simpson, who teaches at Kilgarth School, has been selected as a finalist for the Pearson Teaching Awards.

Finalists were selected from thousands of nominations from across the UK, with Mick joining a list of 67 exceptional teachers who are the award’s “stars” of the education profession for 2015.

Staff and pupils at the Birkenhead school describe Mick as being “more than just a fantastic science teacher”.

He is also deputy headteacher, which of course carries an incredibly heavy workload, and has also spent the last two years delivering free behaviour management training to other schools across the borough.

Since 2014, Mick has also been working with the national charity Teaching Leaders to develop middle leaders in schools across the north of England.

Wirral Globe:

Ann Fowler, from the Birkenhead school, said: “He ensures the best possible outcomes for all of his pupils, regardless of the challenges they face and so he is always in work early and is usually the last person to leave.

“Mick remains positive and solution focused at all times and supports other staff as a coach and a mentor.

“His boundless enthusiasm is infectious and this positivity rubs off on the pupils and staff.”

Mick will find out if he has been named Outstanding Science Teacher on June 12, which also happens to be Thank a Teacher Day.

Winners will be invited to the star-studded UK final, held in Covent Garden in October 2015. It will be filmed and broadcast by the BBC.