St Albans headteacher nominated in hunt for a hero

4:43pm Friday 26th February 2010

By Alexandra Barham

The headteacher of a St Albans School is the first person of 2010 to be nominated in the Review's hunt for a community hero.

Run in conjunction with solicitors Debenhams Ottaway, the Community Gold Awards aims to shine the spotlight on a person who has displayed a selfless act or a group which always goes above and beyond the call of duty.

Sandringham School headteacher Alan Gray has been nominated by a parent of a pupil at the school in The Ridgeway who wanted to remain anonymous.

Mr Gray, who took up his post at Sandringham School five years ago, was named headteacher of the year in 2009, and hand-picked to use his expertise in supporting struggling schools across the country as National Leader of Education.

Mr Gray has also been highly praised for his sensitive response to the sudden deaths of two of his pupils, Georgia Sharman and Eliott Simms, last year.

On hearing of his nomination, Mr Gray said: "Some people say they wouldn't want to work in a school, but for me it is the best job in the world.

"It is a particular privilege to be a headteacher of a secondary school, which I have been for 11 years, five at Sandringham, and before that six at a school in Hemel Hempstead.

"When they come in at the age of 11 they have no idea what they want to do with their lives, but when they leave at 18 they are young adults.

"I see education as preparing young people to be successful throughout their lives, not just in their chosen careers but in every aspect."

The aim of the scheme is to give recognition to individuals in the St Albans district who make a positive contribution to society and make a real difference to community life.

Maybe it is a carer, a nurse, a teacher, a council worker, a Scout, a Guide, a caring child or a volunteer. If they have touched your heart, chances are they will touch ours too.

You can enter by emailing your hero’s name and any relevant contact details to revieweditor@london.newsquest.co.uk catchlining your email hero.

Send your text to 80360. Start your text with the word hero, leave a space and then enter the name and contact details of your unsung hero. Please also include your name and a contact number so we can get in touch with you in the event we are unable to contact your nominated person.

To nominate by phone, simply call 09012 210048 and leave the details of your unsung hero when prompted.

Calls cost no more than 25p per call from a BT landline. Calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Texts cost 25p plus your normal operator text charge. Telephone and text voting lines open 08/02/2010 and close 15/12/2010 at 23:59PM. For full terms visit http://www.newsquest.co.uk/terms. Service Provided by Newsquest Media Group.