Pearson Teaching Awards: Two Belfast teachers win gold

The Pearson Awards were founded in 1998 to celebrate excellence in UK education

Two teachers from Northern Ireland have won gold awards for teaching excellence in the 2015 Pearson Teaching Awards.

Miriam Donnan, vice-principal of Fleming Fulton School in Belfast, was named special needs teacher of the year.

The award for headteacher of the year in a primary school went to Dinah McManus, principal of Holy Family Primary School in Belfast.

The awards were presented at London's Royal Opera House on Sunday night.

The ceremony was hosted by TV historian Dan Snow.

Eleven gold awards were handed out to teachers in 2015, from thousands of initial nominations.

The Pearson Awards were founded by Lord David Puttnam in 1998 in order to celebrate excellence in education.

They are open to teachers from England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson is president of the Teaching Awards Trust, which organises the awards.

The ceremony will be broadcast as "Britain's Classroom Heroes" on BBC2 at 18:00 GMT on Sunday 25 October 2015.