AWARD-winning Kidderminster headteacher Tom Revell has landed a leading role with the headteachers' union.

Mr Revell, of Sladen Middle School, who was runner-up in the West Midlands Headteacher of the Year competition recently, is the new president of the Worcestershire branch of the National Association of Head Teachers.

"I am immensely proud to have been voted by the members to be president for the year 2004-05. It is a very important position because there are lots of changes going on in education.

"There are meetings every half term with the West Midlands branch and we can learn from other members' experiences while they can learn from ours," said Mr Revell.

He was appointed as headteacher of the Hurcott Road school in the wake of it being put into special measures in 2002 following a critical Ofsted report.

The school was released from special measures seven months early and a recent Ofsted inspection found it to be a "good and effective school".

l Meanwhile, Baxter College superhead David Seddon is looking forward to taking part in the "Oscars" of the teaching profession.

As West Midlands winner of the headteacher-of-the-year title, he will be up against heads from other regions of the country for the national award on Sunday, October 24.

The sixth annual Teaching Awards National Ceremony, hosted by TV presenter Eamonn Holmes, will be televised on BBC2 from London's Palace Theatre at 7pm on the day.

Mr Seddon was appointed in 2003 to turn around the fortunes of the previously failing Kidderminster high school.