The game’s afoot as rugby legend and motivational speaker Catherine Spencer is calling for nominations for the Kent Teacher of the Year Awards 2018.

Catherine captained the women’s England rugby team for three years and led them to the 2010 World Cup final – and now she’s hoping to lead the charge for the county’s top sports teachers.

“Nothing is more important than a good teacher,” she said. “The academic and pastoral work delivered in class lays the foundations for success for the next generation. I am particularly keen to see nominations linked to physical activity, because schools can play such an important role in fostering a love of sport – and encouraging green travel to school.”

The 38 year-old went to Folkestone Girls’ Grammar School, where she played “every sport going” and has fond memories of her physics teacher John Scanlan, who doubled up as the hockey coach.

“He was so brilliant. He was a really good coach and used to drive the bus to take us to hockey – it was beyond his job,” she said.

And thanks to her A-level sociology teacher Miss Morton, she went on to study the subject at university.

“The way she kept us engaged was fantastic,” said Catherine. “We were really lucky at school; so many teachers had an impact. I don’t just remember going to lessons – my school was filled with extra-curricular activity.”

Catherine began playing for Folkestone Rugby Club before making her international debut in 2004 – in a career spanning 63 games for England. She retired in 2011 and now runs her own consultancy, Inspiring Women, which provides female speakers and coaches from sport and business backgrounds for conferences, workplace events, and motivational talks.

She has coached at Canterbury Rugby Club, Aylesford Bulls, and Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School, and is currently an honorary patron of the KM Charity Team, which organises the Kent Teacher of the Year Awards.

The awards are open to nominations for any member of school staff – teaching and non-teaching – as well as volunteers and teams. Schools and members of the public must make their nominations before the deadline of March 1.

Winners will be announced at a prestigious awards ceremony staged at the Mercure Great Danes Hotel in Maidstone in May.

Entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges including representatives from Kent County Council, Medway Council, the University of Kent, Kent Sport, Canterbury Christ Church University, the University of Greenwich, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment, MY Trust, Social Enterprise Kent, Beanstalk, CXK, Salus, LoopCR, Kreston Reeves, Kent Further Education, and Diggerland.

For more information or to make a nomination, visit www.kentteacheroftheyear.co.uk

• Schools can promote the Kent Teacher of the Year Awards in school and to their external contacts using the promotional materials available for free download at this link:http://sforce.co/2qup7BC