The primary school teacher from Thame, in Oxfordshire, won but only after her headteacher husband, David, remembered to cut out the requisite tokens of classroom stereotypes, including The Scatterbrain and The Lothario.

Mrs Jones said: “My husband did the cutting out and saving of the tokens and thinks that he should actually get more than 50 per cent of the prize.

But we can celebrate together because I would like to have a holiday in Canada.”

Jo and David, who is head at Gosford Hill secondary, in Kidlington, have read The TES throughout their careers, which now stretch over four decades.

By her own admission, however, Mrs Jones, assistant head at Barley Hill, was baffled when told she had won.

She said: “I had a call on my answer phone from The TES but when I called up and was told I had won I had forgotten about it completely.

“I felt like the village idiot until they reminded me of what I had entered. I am absolutely delighted. We intend to give some of the money to our three grown-up children, put some in the house and maybe save a bit.”

For a list of the 50 runners-up - who each win pound;200 - turn to page 30