An Ashby teacher has been given an emotional and touching nomination in a national competition.

The Teacher of the Year competition, is led by Miconex and sponsored by group collecting platform GiftRound, with £1250 in Ashby Gift Cards as a possible prize.

Dixie Dexter from Ashby Hill Top Primary School was nominated for the accolade by Gemma Holmes whose niece Indi attends the school.

She said: "It's really hard to convey the role Dixie has played supporting my niece when she lost her mummy in 2022.

"I truly believe Indi would not have come through this in the way that she has if it hadn't been for the care and support Dixie showed her, and still does now.

"I'm a child psychologist and have worked with many great teachers in many different schools, but Dixie stands out, always going above and beyond. She is a truly incredible teacher, and person, who puts her all into her job in a way that is special and rare.

"I can imagine that Dixie is so attuned to all of the children she works with, and has taken the time to get to know Indi. Meaning she knows how Indi is feeling and pre-empts what she might find difficult.

"Because of this connection, Indi can go into school feeling happy and confident, even on her toughest days, because she knows there is someone there who understands what she is going through and will keep her safe.

"As a family, knowing that Indi is safe and being looked after has been such a massive relief to us at a time when we've felt very overwhelmed. Dixie's communication with us is excellent.

"No matter if it's me, Indi's dad or another family member collecting Indi, Dixie will make sure we know if anything has happened so we can pick this up at home and Indi wouldn't be left with it to deal with on her own.

 "Ashby Hill Top is a fantastic school with a child-centred ethos, and all of the staff have been amazing with Indi. The school recently received an outstanding OFSTED rating which I think is down to how much they care about the children, which guides their whole approach, including their teaching and learning.

 "My sister was also an amazing teacher and I know she'd be so grateful and thankful for all that Dixie has done to look after and support her little girl."

Jenny Taylor Watson also nominated Dixie to be Teacher of the Year.

She said: "Mrs Dexter is an absolute shining star, she is simply the most wonderfully kind, caring, authentic EYFS teacher I have ever met.

"Her soft Geordie accent mixed with brilliant northern charm makes it impossible for any child not to thrive under her care.

"She leads maths within the whole school and without fail, greets each and every child by name on the gate every morning. Mrs Dexter is so deserving of this award as she has helped achieve the Early Excellence Partner School award as well as maintain the school's recent OFSTED outstanding status.

"My child comes home with amazing facts about artists, countries, maths, books, phonics, growing plants, playing and friendship stories. It makes me so happy to know that he's had the best of starts with Mrs Dexter."

It is free for people to nominate their Teacher of the Year and all types of teachers are eligible including primary and secondary school teachers, higher education teachers, early years teachers and special educational needs teachers in the UK.

The Teacher of the Year competition runs until August 31, and the winning teacher will be announced in September. The teacher who receives the most nominations will be crowned as Teacher of the Year in the national competition. The Teacher of the Year, and their school, will each win a £500 Town & City Gift Card, such as the Ashby Gift Card. One person who nominated the Teacher of the Year will also win a £250 local gift card.

Led by Ashby BID, the Ashby Gift Card launched in 2022 and can be spent with over 50 businesses in the town, including shops, restaurants, attractions and salons, giving people an easy way to give your support locally.

Lisa Roulston from Ashby BID said: "We are pleased to see nominations flooding in for Ashby teachers and schools in this national competition.

"Dixie's nomination tells a story of a teacher who gives her all to support, care for and educate her pupils, and the huge impact this has on children's lives. It takes two minutes to nominate your Teacher of the Year."

 Miconex's local gift cards can be spent with local businesses, encouraging a 'shop local' ethos and locking spend into local economies.

Colin Munro, the managing director of Miconex, said: "The Teacher of the Year competition is designed to shine a light on the work that is happening in our schools up and down the country, and the dedication of our teachers. Congratulations to Dixie and to Ashby Hill Top Primary School for the nomination. If there is a teacher you think deserves to be Teacher of the Year, now is the ideal time to nominate them."

• Nominate a teacher in the Teacher of the Year competition at teacheroftheyear.co.uk