Moray & Banffshire Heroes 2025: VOTE NOW for your secondary school teacher of the year!

VOTE for your secondary school teacher of the year by midnight on Monday, March 24!

READ the shortlist in full.

Steven Tubbs, Keith Grammar School, Keith

KEITH Grammar School teacher, Steven Tubbs, has been credited with ensuring that all his pupils feel they are a part of their school community and he is described as their ‘biggest cheerleader’.

Mr Tubbs, who has taught at the school for 11 years, created a safe place for young people to go at break, lunch and after school where they are supported and encouraged, and he has taken the lead on a number of extra-curricular groups including the First Lego League and Mate ROV.

A nomination said: “Steven goes above and beyond to support young people at Keith Grammar School. He does not realise the impact he is having on these young people and does it all purely to encourage and support them, never for extra credit. Without Steven's support, a lot of young people would struggle, have far less engagement in school and be lost.”

Mr Tubbs felt ‘incredibly honoured’ to be nominated for the award: “I have always loved my job and working with young people to encourage a passion for learning and trying new things is really important to me.

“I am delighted that somebody has felt that what I do is worthy of nomination. I do not feel that anything I do is special or out of the ordinary, I just want to give young people all the opportunities that can make schools a wonderful place to be.”

Debbie Russell, Lossiemouth High School, Lossiemouth

MUCH-LOVED guidance teacher at Lossiemouth High School, Debbie Russell has been praised for going above and beyond for her pupils and their families.

Mrs Russell, who has been a guidance teacher at the school for 12 years, was also thanked for her openness when she shared her recent diagnosis of breast cancer with students to help remove fears about the disease. She has returned to school following her treatment and plans to include in her PSE classes the importance of checking for lumps and bumps, and will also be looking for fundraising opportunities.

A nomination said: “Mrs Russell is a much-loved guidance teacher. She works diligently to support the pupils in her pastoral care. She goes above and beyond, not just for the pupils but parents too. She has also put her pupils first in the work place, even sharing her journey with them to remove any fear of cancer and how it affects a family.”

Mrs Russell said the past year had been incredibly difficult having lost her mum and then receiving her diagnosis, but she uses her own experiences to help support her pupils.

“I’ve been through quite a lot in my life, so any experiences I’ve had, I always consider what the young people are going through. I can understand the different perspectives.

“I absolutely love my job. I love supporting the kids. I’ve got quite a compassionate side but I can also be quite firm – there’s a fine balance between knowing when a young person needs support and knowing when you need to be firm with them.”

Delighted to be shortlisted Mrs Russell added: “It’s amazing, I’m really excited about it!”

Karen Ainslie, Elgin Academy, Elgin

HEAD of home economics at Elgin Academy, Karen Ainslie, has found the recipe for success with pupils and parents according to a nomination!

Miss Ainslie has been praised for supporting her pupils develop new skills and improve their confidence by helping them organise and participate in competitions and events including the school’s Team Bean baristas, a Baxters challenge to create a new soup flavour, and working with an ice cream parlour in Fochabers to create ice cream sold at the school’s annual farmers market run by S2 pupils.

The department also has a 'chef of the week' competition which gives a confidence boost to pupils.

A nomination said: “Miss Ainslie is a regular fixture at every parents’ night and events with delicious home bakes and her Team Bean baristas. She is regularly in school beyond her core hours ‒ she really does deserve this award for all the work she puts in and the impact that she has on pupils and their families.”

Miss Ainslie, who is in her 13th year at Elgin Academy was surprised by her nomination: “I was a bit shocked! It’s nice to be nominated and it gets you thinking – why have I been nominated for doing my job?

“For me, it’s about creating opportunities for the pupils. Home economics is such an important subject, it’s in everybody’s day-to-day lives. There are so many things you can tap into and it brings in real-life experiences for the pupils.”

The secondary school teacher award is sponsored by Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Scotland

Kevin Urquhart, construction director for Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Scotland, said: “As the UK’s leading sustainable housebuilder, we are always incredibly proud to support the future generation’s success. We are supporting the secondary school teacher category for the second year in a row to highlight the incredible work carried out each day by teachers in Moray and Banffshire.

“It is their inspiration that drives confidence in young professionals onto their next stage of skills development, higher education or their first steps into a new career. With the skills and knowledge supplied by those dedicated to secondary education, we can see the positive impact this has on our very own new homes business and wider industry.

“This year we continue to grow the industry, particularly with an interest in the north of Scotland, with the employment of more trade apprentices in the area to strengthen our site teams, as well as growing our graduate, office and site management teams who continually win Pride in the Job awards year after year – none of which would be achieved without the commitment and pride of teachers in the first stage of building young adults’ career prospects.

“We saw last year the incredible amount of extracurricular efforts that secondary teachers put in to support young adults in Moray and the surrounding Banff area, and so we’re delighted to support Moray & Banffshire Heroes again. We strongly encourage readers to vote for their local Heroes so we can raise awareness of those who are truly deserving of such recognition.”

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