HEAD teacher at Ivy Bank Business and Enterprise College in Burnley, Stephen Ball, was recently short listed for a prestigious teaching award.

Having been at the helm of the college in Byron Street for nine years and an English specialist for his 25 years in teaching, he knows what it takes to succeed.

The school was one of the first to be nominated as a specialist college. But how has Stephen BA Hons BPhil, aka Bobby to his colleagues, managed it all and what does he do away from the office?

What are the highlights of your 25 years in teaching?

There have been so many excellent achievements at the school, I feel a bit embarrassed to be nominated for the award as there are so many tremendously committed members of staff. Just to be short-listed in the last four from the hundreds of schools in the North West is remarkable.

One of the best things has been developing the school into the specialist college where so many youngsters now get some of the best opportunities around.

What is the best thing about teaching?

It will always be an absolute privilege to be around children and watching them have the best opportunities and start in life. I am committed to that and always will be. A lot of my job now is management and finance but I still love spending time with youngsters and finding out what they are up to. The greatest thrill is knowing what a success the college has become.

So what are the major problems in teaching?

My biggest gripe will always be the constant bombardment of new initiatives and paperwork from the Government. It is not that teachers do not welcome change. They do. But proposals are given in an unco-ordinated way with very little planning or prediction, which just makes it very difficult to manage anything.

What are the funniest memories in teaching?

I love all the little anecdotes that the children come up with. There was once this child who was so keen to tell me he had been sneaking around in the house weeks before Christmas and looking at his presents before the big day. Anyway he got caught out and it was really funny.

What about spare time, if you get any?

I am a bit sad really. I love traditional books so while everyone else is reading Jeffrey Archer I will have my nose in a nineteenth century novel. There is so little time to read in term time I enjoy a good Dickens.

I don't watch a lot of television but I enjoy watching sport and the classics like the Forsythe Saga. My hobbies include fly fishing and walking in the Lakes which makes me sound really boring!

I go on a lot of city breaks and my favourite place is Rome, for all the history that is there.

And what is your nickname?

I was always knows as Bobby from Bobby Ball -- Canon and Ball. Just because of the surname, but it was funny.