A NORTH Somerset woman beat nominees from across the country to win national recognition for her work as a headteacher.

Lin Williams, head of Sandford Primary School, was named Head Teacher of The Year 2011 at Mercury publisher Archant’s Good Schools Show last Friday.

Parents nationwide nominated headteachers for the award, including private school heads.

But Mrs Williams received the most nominations and collected her award from Tom Parker-Bowles, son of the Duchess of Cornwall, at the ceremony at Olympia in London.

Mrs Williams said: “I’m stunned. But I’m very honoured and privileged that parents would have faith in me.

“I love Sandford. It’s such a happy school and the parents are very supportive.

“The staff are simply outstanding. We all have lots of passion and very high expectations.”

The school has 138 pupils and has been open for more than 100 years.

Mrs Williams has been head of the Greenhill Road school since January 2010.

She lived in Africa for 25 years and taught at Garneton Primary, Zambia, for 10 years before moving back to Weston in 2001. I came back with a greater understanding of all the different cultures. It was a very humbling experience,” she said.

And Mrs Williams has brought a taste of Africa back to North Somerset with her, as Sandford is now twinned with the African school.

In November, a staff member is going to the school on an exchange programme, and in return, a Zambian teacher will be coming back to the school next spring.