A TEACHER at an Accrington school has been voted one of the UK's coolest tutors after modelling his teaching style on spoof rapper Ali G.

French teacher John Hope said "keepin' it real" - the hip motto of the TV star, played by Sasha Baron Cohen - is the way to keep kids interested in Mount Carmel Science College lessons and get top results.

And his attitude has won him runner-up in the UK's coolest teacher category after a nomination by two Year 10 pupils.

Mr Hope, 25, of Accrington, joined the school last year as a Newly Qualified Teacher. He has run a series of after-school classes and spends lots of extra time with the pupils.

He was nominated by Marjie-Louise Sanderson and Lindsey Clayton.

He said: "You have to keep lessons fun and I always try and use music, raps, songs even about Henry V in French. It's all about 'keepin' it real', as Ali G would say.

"If you keep it light hearted they learn more. I always have the bigger picture in mind and make sure they are aware of the importance of their own self esteem and how much they can achieve.

"I am really pleased to have been nominated. I knew nothing about it until last week. It is great to know that pupils have a high opinion of me and they have a good view of me throughout the school.

"I gave a lot of effort to my teaching, trying to make lessons exciting, and showing French off as the excellent subject that it is."

Special activities in class include having French students to visit and lots of talking in French.

Teenage girl magazine Bliss, who organised the competition, also conducted a survey which found that three out of 10 secondary school pupils said they were switching off in language lessons because they were taught badly.

But Mr Hope defied critics of language lessons being boring after becoming second runner-up in the national competition. Helen Johnston, editor of Bliss, said: "We were bombarded with entries for the Best Teachers Awards which shows just how much young people care about the way they are taught and who is teaching them.

"Good teachers are hugely appreciated by pupils."

Mr Hope was pipped to the post to becoming the UK's coolest teacher by Tim Morris from Fulford school in York who teaches geography and keeps children amused with jokes, funny gossip and writes songs for his band in his spare time.