Otumoetai Intermediate will tonight find out if it is the winner of one of the Prime Minister's Teaching Excellence Awards, recognising New Zealand's top educators.

Tonight's inaugural presentation ceremony and dinner sees the school a finalist in three of the five award categories – excellence in engaging, excellence in teaching and learning, and excellence in governing.

Otumoetai intermediate principal Henk Popping with students. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

Held at Te Papa in Wellington and hosted by Prime Minister John Key, 10 staff and students will attend the awards night including Otumoetai intermediate principal Henk Popping.

'We are pretty thrilled about it and are looking forward to going to the awards ceremony,” says Henk.

'We are happy to be where we are but obviously anything better is going to be a bonus for us.”

With schools able to be nominated or enter themselves, Otumoetai Intermediate opting for the latter, sent in an application form with case studies for each of the categories.

A total of 163 applicants nationwide were then judged by a panel of nine education experts before the shortlisted 14 schools across the categories were visited by another panel of nine experts.

Otumoetai Intermediate is the only school to be shortlisted in more than one award.

'We are really proud of our staff and our teachers and board members that have done all the hard yards and hard work,” says Henk.

'It just acknowledges the fact that we have got a strong education system here in the Bay of Plenty. And more so part of our application was the relationships and collaboration we have as a school between us, our contributing primary schools and Otumoetai College.”

Ministry of Education deputy secretary Dr Graham Stoop says the awards showcase a number of innovative teaching practices and the judging panel is 'absolutely delighted” with the creativity and new thinking going on in so many schools and early childhood centres.

Graham, convenor of the judging panel for the awards, says everyone can learn from all the finalists, in the ways they harness they best in their students, in their teachers, and in their community.

'We found many fresh ideas. This is a chance for these schools and early childhood centres to be recognised for their excellent practice.”

The awards, which are to be held yearly, will include four category winners, an Education Focus Prize, and a Supreme Award winner.