SOME of the North-East's outstanding teachers, classroom assistants and school governors are heading to London for a star-studded awards ceremony next month.

The Teaching Awards are to be held at the London Palladium on October 21 in front of a 2,000-strong audience.

The ceremony, to be screened on BBC2, is billed as a celebration of education excellence and will be attended by Secretary of State for Education and Skills Ed Balls, along with celebrities including Jeremy Vine and X Factor presenter Kate Thornton.

Ten winners of the North-East regional heats will be hoping to win one of the prestigious national awards, including: * Sarah Barningham, of Cestria Primary School, Chester-le-Street - BT Award for Teacher of the Year In A Primary School * John Hall, of Houghton Kepier School, Houghton-le-Spring - Guardian Award for Teacher of the Year In A Secondary School * Barbara Bell, of Skelton In Cleveland Primary School, Saltburn By The Sea - NCSL Award for Headteacher of the Year In A Primary School * Rebecca Jenkins, of Abbey Hill School and Technology College, Stockton - TDA Award for Outstanding New Teacher of the Year * Cassop Primary School, Durham City - DCSF Award for Sustainable Schools * Jackie Murray, Blue Coat CE Junior School, Durham City - DCSF Teaching Award for Governors Lord Puttnam, chair of the awards and recently retired chancellor of Sunderland University, said: "The work of teachers has unique outcomes on the health, wealth and welfare of every single person in this country. As a nation we should be fantastically proud of them.

"This is my ninth Teaching Awards national ceremony, and I have witnessed the huge benefit that comes from teachers accepting praise and celebrating with colleagues, their schools and pupils. I believe in its power."