Academy trust leaders have again topped the Queen’s birthday honours list, with ARK chair Paul Marshall (above, centre) and Twyford church schools trust head Alice Hudson (below, right) in line for a knighthood and damehood respectively.
Of the 18 people with links to the school sector to receive knighthoods, damehoods, CBEs and OBEs in the latest round of honours, seven are either heads, chairs or chief executives of trusts.
Marshall is also the lead non-executive board member at the Department for Education, making him one of five people with direct links to the department receiving honours in this round.
Beyond academies, Tony Sewell (above, left), chair of the London mayor’s inquiry into schools, will receive a CBE as will Birmingham education boss Colin Diamond and Malcolm Trobe, the interim general secretary of the Association.
Diamond, a former Ofsted inspector and associate headteacher in the east end of London, said he was “very proud” to receive the CBE.
But said the honour also reflected the hard work of his colleagues.
“I have worked in education and children’s services since 1978 with some great teams in London, the north east, south west and now Birmingham. I feel that the honour reflects their work as much as mine,” he said.
“I have always strived to improve the life chances of children from disadvantaged backgrounds with my roots in Toxteth, Liverpool,” he said. “It’s a privilege to continue that work in Birmingham, such a brilliant city.”
Sewell, pictured top-left and below, began his career in London as a school teacher before become a teacher trainer at Kingston and Leeds universities. He has published widely on the experience of boys in education and has consulted on education for the World Bank and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
In 2012, he was appointed by then-mayor of London Boris Johnson to chair an inquiry into London schools. The inquiry’s report, published in 2013, led to the establishment of the £24 million London Schools Excellence Fund.
Sewell told Schools Week his charity, Generating Genius, which works with disadvantaged pupils to get them into STEM careers, had been successful where others failed because they offered young people “five years of total commitment”.
“People are not really making this long-term commitment to children,” he said. “We need to engage with young people right through from the age of 12 all the way to university. Most projects and programmes I see are one-off interventions, they touch-base lightly.”
Several key government civil servants working on the academies programme will receive MBEs for their service, including Lara Newman, who advises the Education Funding Agency on property for free schools.
Val McGregor, an education adviser for academies and free school at the Department for Education, will also get an MBE, having worked in education for nearly 40 years, initially as a teacher and then a leader of London inner-city schools, before working as an English and literacy adviser for four councils.
Since 2001, McGregor has held a range of national senior leadership roles, including senior English director and national director for inclusion. She has been in an advisory role at the DfE since 2006.
Malcolm Trobe is a former head of Malmesbury School in Wiltshire who has led ASCL on an interim basis since its general secretary Brian Lightman stood down in January.
He said it was a “great privilege” to represent an organisation whose members worked so hard to provide “an excellent education for millions of young people”.
“It is vital that governments listen to the views, insight and expertise of school and college leaders and it is ASCL’s job to make sure they do so,” he said.
“I have been fortunate to work with many wonderful teachers when I was head of Malmesbury School and we have a fantastic staff team here at ASCL. I would like to thank them all for the great support that they have given me throughout my career.”
Education honours – the full list for schools
Knighthood
Paul Marshall, chair, ARK Schools and lead non-executive board member, Department for Education.
For services to education and philanthropy.
Damehood
Alice Hudson, executive headteacher, Twyford Church of England Academies Trust.
For services to education.
CBE
Colin Diamond, executive director of education, Birmingham City Council.
For services to education.
Elizabeth Horne, chief executive, Horizons Specialist Academies Trust, Stockton.
For services to education.
Dr Tony Sewell, founder, Generating Genius and member, London Schools Excellence Fund Expert Advisory Group.
For services to education.
Dr John Stephens, deputy director for teaching schools and school improvement, National College for Teaching and Leadership.
For services to education and voluntary service in Manchester.
Malcolm Trobe, interim general secretary, Associaton of School and College Leaders.
For services to education.
Patricia Walters, former headteacher, Holte Visual and Performing Arts College.
For services to education.
Janet Woods, director of secondary academies (north), United Learning Trust.
For services to education.
OBE
Julian Appleyard, principal, Rochdale Sixth Form College.
For services to education.
Kevin Boyle, headteacher, Oaklands School, Winsford, and Cheshire branch secretary, National Association of Headteachers.
For services to education.
Andrew Brown, headteacher, West View Primary School, Hartlepool.
For services to education.
Andrew Burns, executive principal, The Redhill Academy Trust, Nottinghamshire.
For services to education.
Pauline Hagen, principal, North East Wakefield College, Pontefract.
For services to education.
Richard Hill, former headteacher, Colnbrook Special School, Hertfordshire.
For services to education.
Estelle MacDonald, chief executive, Hull Collaborative Academy Trust and Hull Collaborative Teaching School Alliance.
For services to education.
Deborah Rogan, executive headteacher, The Wickford CofE School and chief executive, HEARTS Multi-Academy Trust, Essex.
For services to education.
Professor Alice Rogers, governor, King’s Maths School and emeritus professor of mathematics, King’s
College, London.
For services to mathematics education and higher education.
Deborah Weston, associate senior leadership team member, Mulberry School for Girls, London.
For services to religious education and inter- and intra-faith relations.
MBE
Adrian Bowater, member, academies finance and assurance steering group, Education Funding Agency and
director of finance, Walsall Academy.
For services to education.
Andrew Child, chair of governors, High Storrs School, Sheffield.
For services to education.
Peter Chisholm, deputy headteacher, Warden Park School, Cuckfield.
For services to education and charity fundraising and sport for young people.
John Cornally, executive headteacher, Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College, Altrincham.
For services to education.
Marion Cornick, founder, The Loddon School, Sherfield-on-Loddon.
For services to special education.
Freda Griffin, head of care of residential provision, Horizons Specialist Academy.
For services to education and young people with complex learning needs.
Simon Griffiths, headteacher, Lindens Primary School, Streetly.
For services to education.
Iffat, Hameed, JP teacher, King Edward VII School.
For services to education and the community in Sheffield.
Alan Jerome, life president, Bradford Grammar School and former vice chair of corporation, Bradford
College.
For services to education and the community in Bradford.
Marian Lee, teacher, Gordon Primary School, Greenwich.
For services to education.
Valerie, McGregor, education adviser for academies and free schools, Department for Education.
For services to education.
Matthew Miller, national leader of governance and chair of governors, Highlands School, Enfield.
For services to education.
Andrew Morris, teacher, Westcroft Sports and Applied Learning College and founder, Timken Vocational Training Centre and Sunbeam Enterprises.
For services to special education.
Lara Newman, property adviser on free schools, Education Funding Agency.
For services to education.
Ann Noble, former headteacher, Tydeman Centre, The Malling School, Kent.
For services to education.
Jane Owens, chair of governors, Weatherhead High School.
For services to education in Wirral.
Robert Palmer, chair of governors, St Mary’s CE Primary School, Moss Side, Manchester.
For services to education.
Simon potter, play producer at Wimbledon College.
For services to education in Wimbledon.
Cherry Reynolds, assistant headteacher and SEN co-ordinator, Codsall Community High School, Staffordshire.
For services to education.
Jacqueline Smith, executive headteacher, Upland Special School, Swindon.
For services to education.
Steven White.
For voluntary services to education and sport, particularly in Leicestershire.
Ariana Yakas, chair of governors, Kingsway Community Trust, Greater Manchester.
For services to education.
BEM
Myra Brodie, school crossing patrol, Market Harborough.
For services to education.
Diana Burdett, school secretary, The Grove Infant and Nursery School, Harpenden.
For services to education.
Anthony Elvin, teaching assistant, Archbishop Sentamu Academy, Hull.
For services to education.
Mari Heywood, vice chair of governors, Abbey Gate College, Chester.
For services to education.
Jean Johnson, volunteer, Belmont Cheveley Park Primary School, Durham.
For services to education.
Shaminder Rai, chief of operations, Nishkam High School, Birmingham.
For services to education.
John Wallace, governor, The Latimer Primary School, Leicestershire.
For services to education.
Paul Yeates, former chair of governors and volunteer, Lingfield Notre Dame School, Surrey.
For services to education.
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Scrap this iniquitous politically biassed system!
Gongs, if gongs are to be given at all, should not be for those merely doing their job. They should be handed to those who’ve done something exceptional – unpaid volunteering over time, for example, or for bravery in exceptional circumstances (and, no, seeing off Regional Schools Commissioners or their ‘advisers’ doesn’t count).