Suffolk’s second Raising the Bar Awards are to be presented at a special event in Bury St Edmunds on Thursday.

About 60 shortlisted finalists across 20 categories have been invited to the ceremony at Ashlar House in Bury.

The ceremony is designed to be a celebration of education in Suffolk and how the county is Raising the Bar, and will also include a performance from Suffolk singer Laura Wright.

The winners of 20 awards will be announced at the ceremony, including awards for children and young people, people working in education, education settings, business partners, collaboration and innovation projects, and an unsung hero.

Hundreds of nominations were submitted by the people of Suffolk, who had the chance to nominate the people, places and projects they believed were raising the bar.

A judging panel of representatives from Suffolk County Council, as well as governors, parents, teachers and local businesses, then had the tough job of selecting the shortlist.

Raising the Bar is Suffolk’s response to tackling levels of education attainment. Although the project is led by Suffolk County Council, solving this challenge is not something any one person or organisation can do alone, success will come from collaboration.

Lisa Chambers, Suffolk’s cabinet member for education, said: “Celebrating success is an important part of Raising the Bar, and these awards are an opportunity to recognise the shining lights across education and learning in Suffolk.

“We received hundreds of nominations from across the county, involving amazing people, places and projects. The judges have had an incredibly hard job to find the finalists, my congratulations to all those who have been nominated.

“This year we have increased the number of awards for the children and young people to fully recognise those at the heart of education. Many of our finalists have overcome significant obstacles and challenges.”