A TEACHER from Taunton college has been labelled as “inspirational” by one of the top universities in the country.

Claire Bennett, an economics teacher at Richard Huish College, was given the inspirational teacher award by Cambridge’s Trinity College.

Miss Bennett is one of only three teachers to be given the honour.

Trinity College encouraged first-year undergraduates to nominate a teacher who inspired them, encouraged them to apply, or supported them through their applications.

And Miss Bennett was nominated by Ryan Pringle, who left Richard Huish in 2016 as one of the year’s highest achievers.

He gained four A*s in economics, maths, further maths and physics.

Ryan now studies law and economics at Trinity College.

Miss Bennett said she was delighted to be named.

“It was very rewarding to find out I’d won the award,” she said.

“I had a very good relationship with Ryan, he will go on to do fantastic things and I am looking forward to seeing where life takes him.

“The most rewarding part is that it has come directly from a student nomination.”

An awards ceremony will be held in May to honour the winners.

In a congratulatory letter received from Professor Adrian Poole, tutor for admissions at Trinity College, said: “We are conscious of how much we owe to the schools and teachers who send so many gifted applicants to us.”

Each teacher won £500 for their school or college and the students who nominated them received £75 in book tokens.