Ms Britten,who works at Yale college in Wrexham, north Wales, beat more than 200 other entrants to win the award, presented by Liz Myles, quality director of lecturer supply agency Protocol Professional, Nominations were followed by research which involved interviewing college managers, students and former students of the lecturers whose names had been entered.

A spokesman for Protocol said: “Gill Britten stood out because of her ability to develop confidence in her students, her creativity in developing her own teaching materials and her contribution to the overall college effort.”

Ms Myles, presenting the award, said: “The quality of entries we received has been exceptional. Yet, even among such company, Gill’s contribution to her students was such that the judges were unanimous in their choice of overall winner.”