A TEACHER from Basingstoke has been nominated for a prestigious award.

Paul Daniel, the head of learning support at Queen Mary's College, has been nominated for an Award for Excellence in Special Needs Teaching in the 2004 regional heat of the Teaching Awards.

Mr Daniel, who usually spends his time managing the college's learning support unit and teaching its 35 students, will travel to Winchester Guildhall tomorrow for a grand finale ceremony hosted by BBC South Today's Sally Taylor.

Mr Daniel, 45, who was nominated by the parent of a former student, said: "It feels a bit odd really as I'm just doing my job. But it's nice that people recognise what we do as a team. It's a team achievement really."

The unit, based at the college in Cliddesden Road, Basingstoke, runs a full-time programme of post-16 education for people with learning disabilities.

The regional Teaching Awards include 10 categories, and the regional winners for the South will be invited to the national ceremony in October.

The awards - co-ordinated by the Teaching Awards Trust, an independent charity which seeks to celebrate excellence and promote best practice in education - are sponsored by companies such as BT, The Guardian, and the Teacher Training Agency.