"When Kerry's involved, everyone feels the sky's the limit," said Bryn Thomas, head of Wolverley C of E Secondary School, Kidderminster. He was talking about Kerry Poole, the school's head of RE, who was named secondary-school teacher of the year at the Pearson National Teaching Awards ceremony in London last week. Ms Poole, who is 32, took a degree in sociology and theology at the University of Birmingham, and joined the school as a newly qualified teacher ten years ago. She is now also assistant head. Her motto "OK isn't OK" helped to inspire this year's GCSE RS results: 83 Year 11 students gained A-C grades, more than half of them at A* and A. Ms Poole was nominated by colleagues, who told the judges: "She has a massive impact on students and teachers at this school and continues to inspire us on a daily basis."