A Worcester man has been crowned Teacher of the Year at the Sky Sports Living for Sport Awards show in London.

Broadcast on Sky Sports 1 on Sunday evening, Ashley Smith of Norton College received his award from Living for Sport Athlete Mentor and South African rugby union international Thinus Delport.

The hour-long Awards show, hosted by Di Dougherty, featured a host of sports stars including Sky Academy Ambassadors Jonny Wilkinson, Thierry Henry, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Darren Campbell and Nick Dougherty.

The Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of students and teachers in using sport stars and the skills learnt through sport to build life skills as a result of their involvement in the programme.

Thinus Delport said: “Ashley is a real Living for Sport success story. Twelve years ago he was one of the pupils benefitting from the initiative and he’s now running a project of his own.

"I’m delighted Ashley won this award; he has an infectious enthusiasm and is fully commited to bringing the best out of his students through sport. I have seen him help so many pupils broaden their education and I look forward to seeing him continue to develop his Sky Sports Living for Sport programme.“

Ashley said: “I’m thrilled to be awarded the Teacher of the Year accolade. I work with students who struggle with complex learning difficulties and I used the Living for Sport programme to boost their confidence, and improve their performance in all areas of their studies.”

Ashley was selected as the Teacher of the Year winner by a panel of judges for using the Living for Sport programme to positively change the lives of his students through the skills learned in sport.

Ashley benefited himself from the innaugraul Sky Sports Living for Sport programme as a student in 2003 and has been running his own projects at Norton College for the past four years.

As part of his Award, Ashley spent a day at Sky Studios in London with exclusive behind the scenes tours.

The Living for Sport initiative has been running in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust since 2003 and this academic year more than1500 UK secondary schools and 175 Irish secondary schools will take part.