Today, the Telegraph & Argus launches our first Schools Awards, aimed at celebrating excellence, achievement and innovation in the schools of the Bradford and district.

With national headlines seemingly full of nothing but bad news stories about education – failing schools, falling exam results, concern over literary and numeracy, we thought it was time to honour those who do a great job, day in, day out in the classroom.

Whether our time at school really accounts for the best days of our life is perhaps an arguable point, but it cannot be denied that everyone remembers an inspirational teacher. And it isn’t just the soft glow of nostalgia that allows us to cast an appreciative eye over teachers we have long since left behind – the recent TV hit Educating Yorkshire shows that exactly the sort of teaching we fondly recall and which serves us throughout life is going on in the contemporary education landscape.

Those inspirational teachers who will be honoured by the Schools Awards (among many other categories) are also in demand from today’s pupils, a new survey has revealed.

New research has found that today’s schoolchildren want inspiring teachers, decent textbooks and high-quality qualifications. And young people want schools to be tougher on children who misbehave, to help ensure that all pupils get a decent education.

The Pearson and Teach First study, based on the views of more than 8,000 UK youngsters, examined young people’s views of education.

It found that more than three quarters (77 per cent) agree that encouraging tougher discipline for misbehaving students would help all children to achieve their goals.

Around 85 per cent backed exams that test a pupil's understanding of a subject rather than their ability to regurgitate facts, while 81 per cent wanted teachers to have more time to get to know their students and their goals and 82 per cent were in favour of lessons that have more links to workplace skills.

That last one is something about which a great deal is being done in Bradford through the E3 scheme – part of the ‘Get Bradford Working’ programme, the project is supported by Bradford Council and Bradford Chamber of Commerce.

The plan is to create a new enterprise curriculum for education providers across the city, with the intention of delivering home-grown talent to the business community. In other words, giving schoolchildren in Bradford the skills that employers in their home district are hungry for.

Back to the Pearson and Teach First survey, more than nine in ten (93 per cent) said that the top qualities to find in a teacher were passion for their subject and an enjoyment of teaching, while a similar proportion (91 per cent) agreed that high-quality qualifications that are respected by teachers and universities will help them to reach their ambitions.

The research also asked youngsters which materials and resources were most effective in helping them study.

More than half (58 per cent) cited good textbooks, while the same proportion said good personal notes and 56 per cent opted for good revision guides.

The study was conducted as part of the My Education campaign launched by Pearson and Teach First, aimed at giving young people a voice on their education.

Teach First founder and chief executive Brett Wigdortz said: “This research has demonstrated the importance of having capable, passionate teachers in the classroom, not just to help students pass exams, but to help them develop a full range of personal and professional skills that will be most useful to them in the world of work.”

Pearson UK president Rod Bristow said: “What is striking about the My Education report is just how high our young people’s aspirations are.

“The data shows that they want the best, but they do want education to be engaging, challenging, adaptable. That's a challenge to everyone in education – be they the Government, teachers or exam boards.”

Coun Ralph Berry, executive member for children’s services, said: “Schools in the Bradford district have many inspirational teachers. I have seen some of them in action in the classroom when I have visited schools. I agree with the views of the young people who were interviewed. They are right to want the best education possible – with inspiring teachers, decent textbooks and high-quality qualifications. They deserve the best – and schools across the Bradford district do all they can to make sure that this is what local children and young people receive.”