School cook Wendy Baker was presented with an award and a bouquet of flowers last week after she was nominated by children and parents as their unsung hero.

Mrs Baker, 51, who has been cooking and serving hot dinners to youngsters at Frogwell Primary School in Chippenham for 21 years, won the award as part of the School Heroes campaign, which recognises the nation’s top of the class workers.

She was presented with the flowers by Year 6 student Fraser, whose mum Helen nominated Mrs Baker for the award as a thank you for catering for her son’s special dietary requirements.

She said: “Wendy does a brilliant job, for the last seven years she has produced a gluten-free hot meal every day for my coeliac son. She makes homemade chicken pie, quiche, bakewell tarts to name but a few. Nothing has ever been too much trouble and I wanted to say thank you to her.”

Mrs Baker, who joined a team of six in the kitchen in 1989, now works in a team of two as well as 12 dinnerladies.

She said: “I am absolutely delighted, it is such a surprise. It has been extra work catering for Fraser but we have found our way round it and we make sure he eats the same things as all the other children, it just takes a moment to think.

“It was a bit daunting to start with but it hasn’t been a problem. We often have to make different meals for children, like vegetarians and diabetics, but we had never done gluten-free before so it was a challenge.

“I have been doing this for 21 years so I’ve still got 14 years left yet – as long as school meals continue, I shall be here in the kitchen.”

Jo Read, who launched the School Heroes campaign, said: “Everyone remembers someone special from our school days, someone that really helped us or made our time there memorable and now we are giving children the chance to say a surprise thank you to their School Hero. Although we all have our favourite teacher we wanted to open up the nominations to every one.”

To nominate, visit www.school-heroes.co.uk