THE head teacher of one Basingstoke school is officially the best secondary school leader in the South of England.

At the Teaching Awards 2009, Everest Community College head teacher Julie Rose won the Royal Air Force Award for Head Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School.

It is the latest success for a school that has advanced in strides after once being named one of the worst in Britain by a national newspaper.

One judge said of Ms Rose: “She worked really hard with drive and determination to improve a failing school and to create something that parents and the community are proud of.”

After receiving her award from television presenter Sally Taylor, Ms Rose, 50, told The Gazette: “It’s a lovely award and ceremony here.

“Everest has come an awful long way in a very short period of time and it’s nice to have that acknowledged and it will inspire us to have more success.”

She said staff, students and parents had all played their part.

“It was a team effort that enabled me to win this award,” she added.

Ms Rose won one of 12 categories in the awards, which are run by a special charity and sponsored by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Part of her prize is a flight in an RAF aircraft, which she described as “an extra bonus”.

Ms Rose began her career as a food technology teacher in 1981 and took up her first head teacher post in 2003. She joined Everest, which is in an award-winning new building in Oxford Way, Merton Rise, on secondment in January 2007 and became its permanent head a year later.

Ms Rose was cheered on at the award ceremony at Winchester Guildhall by four students – Chris Page, Amy Cotton, Ross Macgourlay, Spardha Kunar – along with her personal assistant Sue Roberts. Student support worker Caroline Hams, one of those who nominated Ms Rose for the award, was also present.

The nomination noted Ms Rose’s ambitions for the college including its successful acquisition of specialist status in maths and computing. The nomination also noted her ability to listen to others.

She had restored parents’ confidence and given Popley, where many pupils live, its pride back, it added.

Ms Rose beat head teachers from Bracknell and Slough to win the South of England award and is now in the running for the national award, which will be presented in October.