TRIBUTES have been paid to an "outstanding and inspirational" Nottingham head teacher.

Nigel Pickard, 45, died at home on Tuesday night after a short illness.

He was head teacher at Nottingham Academy's Ransom Road site in St Ann's, a position he had held since the summer.

Barry Day, chief executive of the Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust, which runs the academy, led the tributes to Mr Pickard.

He said: "The death of Nigel has been a huge shock to us all.

"He was a larger-than-life figure who was respected by staff and pupils alike. He will be sadly missed."

Mr Pickard started teaching at Ilkeston School in the early 1990s and rose to take on the role of head of English.

He then moved to Hadden Park School where he became a deputy head teacher before moving to Nottingham Academy.

He was appointed as head of school at Ransom Road, which caters for years 7 to 11, this summer.

A statement issued yesterday by the school said: "Mr Pickard was an outstanding head teacher, an inspirational teacher and a thoroughly nice man. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him."

Jackie Simpson, executive principal of the Academy, said Mr Pickard was "hugely popular" with the students.

She said: "He was very popular within the school and he was very proud of the school's achievements and inspired young people to achieve their potential.

"He was passionate about creative writing and his passion rubbed off on the students – we have anthologies of the pupils' poems and he loved reading them.

"The quality that people will remember him for the most is his approachability – both staff and students thought a lot of him and he had a fantastic relationship with the students."

Mr Pickard was also a published author and a keen follower of cricket.

He leaves two children, 15-year-old Lily and 18-year-old Jake, and his partner, Jane.