A MALVERN woman has received a major award for her work helping students learn outside the classroom.

Sue Verdeyen, education officer for the Three Counties Agricultural Society, which is based at the Blackmore showground, took the Learning Outside the Classroom innovators award for 2014. The national award is for promoting teaching away from the conventional classroom setting and Mrs Verdeyen was nominated by Chris Jones of BAM Construction and Linda Scott from the University of Worcester University , who is also the local STEMNET coordinator for schools and colleges, an organisation which promotes the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

BAM Construction is a Cardiff-based national and international company which has supported Mrs Verdeyen for many years in her school show gardens competition, which is judged by the Royal Horticultural Society and displayed to the public at the RHS Spring Festival. She already has 20 schools signed up and busily growing for the next event in May.

Mrs Verdeyen said she is delighted with the award and the way in which it raises the profile of teaching and learning through gardening and horticulture.