A MUSICIAN who swapped her role managing a top opera company to work at an Oxford primary school has been named our teacher of the year for 2011.

Edwina Vernon previously worked as company manager at English National Opera, staged the Swiss version of Phantom of the Opera, and organised lavish concerts for Andrew Lloyd Webber.

But now she spends her time working with younger musicians – the 320 pupils of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Headington.

Miss Vernon, 48, whose three children have gone to the school, teaches music to all year groups and runs the school’s award-winning music groups and choir.

Now readers have voted her the winner of the Oxford Mail’s teacher of the year competition, run in association with Abingdon-based construction firm Leadbitter Group.

She said: “I am thrilled, very surprised, and very proud.

“With the children, I do everything from world music and dance tunes, to percussion, and dance-orientated pieces for the younger ones.”

She added: “What I love is that often when they are going into Key Stage Two aged eight, they are quite nervous. Then they join the choir and perform in front of hundreds of people.”

Miss Vernon, whose husband Christopher Purves is an accomplished opera singer, started teaching at the school three years ago.

Earlier this month, 92 children from the school performed at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, as part of the Music for Youth national festival, and picked up an “outstanding performance” award.

Headteacher Sue Tomkys said: “She is an extremely talented and capable musician, and her passion is infectious.

“As a result, the whole school is filled with music.”

Chloe Labutte, 11, said: “She is really passionate and it is inspiring. She pushes us, but only because she knows we can do really well.”

Eleven-year-old Kitty Vaughan-Fowler added: “I used to be really shy, but she got me into singing and made me more confident.”

Leadbitter Group’s head of special projects, Ian Batchelor, presented Miss Vernon with a crystal decanter at the school yesterday. He said: “The award is really well deserved.”

Oxford Mail readers voted for their favourite teacher out of 24 nominated by headteachers featured in our School Focus features since last September.