A SCHOOL is celebrating after its design and technology teacher was named the best in the UK.

Rhys Evans, of Ysgol Dinas Bran, Llangollen, has been named Design and Technology Teacher of the Year 2012.

He was presented with the award by Dame Ellen MacArthur at the Design Technology Association Excellence Awards held at the Institution of Engineering and Technology in London.

Mr Evans said: “It is a great personal honour to receive this prestigious award and it recognises the hard work of all the pupils, parents and staff at Ysgol Dinas Bran.”

Richard Green, chief executive of the Design and Technology Association said: “For many years Rhys has produced outstanding work through the use of CAD (computer aided design) to enhance his pupils’ design capability in his own school but also shared locally, throughout Wales and in England.

“He has been an adviser to Autodesk in developing educational materials to help with training students and teachers.

“Many of his pupils go on to use CAD at a very high level and represent the school in national competitions, such as the finals of the Big Bang Science and Engineering Fair and involvement in World Skills.

“Rhys is very proud of his Welsh roots and he does considerable curriculum work with NGfL Cymru and the Welsh Assembly and he constantly updates and shares this good practice with colleagues at the D&T Association’s Secondary Working Group.

“The Teacher of the Year should be someone highly respected, innovative, thought provoking, and a good teacher of design and technology and engineering – and Rhys is all of these.”