Sam Howard commissioned a top-secret school-wide campaign to ensure his favourite teacher was crowned New Zealand's most inspiring.

The 12-year-old Medbury Preparatory School pupil secretly nominated his science teacher, Micah Hocquard, for Warehouse Stationery's New Zealand's Most Inspiring Teacher award.

Hocquard beat thousands of other nominated teachers to claim the primary school category. More than 2800 teachers were nominated and about 11,000 votes were registered in the six-week voting period.

KIRK HARGREAVES Medbury Preparatory School teacher Micah Hocquard has won the primary schools section of this year's Most Inspiring Teachers awards.

Sam decided to nominate Hocquard after finding the competition online. He believed no one deserved the award more than his science teacher.

"He's one of the most inspirational teachers I've had," Sam said.

"He turns learning into a more fun way of doing things, more than most other teachers do."

Hocquard has taught Sam twice throughout his teaching career - once at a previous school when Sam was in Year Three and now in Year Eight at Medbury.

On his campaign trail, Sam visited all the classes taught by Hocquard to plea with pupils to spread the word and get online and vote for him, a gesture Hocquard has been humbled by.

"I found out I was nominated by email... I was like, 'Well that's nice', but I didn't think too much more about it," Hocquard said.

"The first day of the term was when the headmaster came in and told me that I'd won. I said 'No, you're pulling my leg'."

Hocquard has worked at the school since 2009. He has a science degree from Otago University and graduated from Christchurch Teachers' College in 2003.

The job at Medbury is the second in Hocquard's teaching career, one he has had eyes on since the days at Teachers' College.

"I had to drive past this school every day on my way to Teacher's College, and I thought: I'm going to work at that school one day," Hocquard said.

Hocquard believed he was successful in teaching due to his passion for the job, and "absolutely loving what I do". Fellow teachers in his family had inspired him to take up teaching career.

"For me I think it's energy and positivity. I'm always trying to do things as energetic and positive as I can."

Hocquard will receive a $5000 prize pack comprising furniture, stationery and technology for the award.

He said the award would be a "great" addition to his teaching portfolio.

"I'm very lucky first of all to get an accolade like that. It's awesome to get some recognition for all the hard work you put in."