New Year’s Honours 2020: education, children's services and social mobility
The New Year Honours list recognises a total of 84 people for their outstanding contributions to education, children’s services and improving social mobility.
Teachers, foster carers and youth workers are among the 84 people recognised for their contribution to education, care and driving social mobility in the New Year’s Honours List 2020.
The list includes headteachers, governors, teachers, social workers, foster carers, and those who work in adoption and early years.
Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson said:
Teachers, foster carers and all those who work with young people have a truly life changing impact, and I congratulate all who have received an award in the New Year’s Honours List.
This list highlights just some of the many committed professionals and volunteers who work tirelessly across education and children’s services to deliver better outcomes for young people and students across the country, and I want to personally thank them for their dedication.
Among the recipients is Dr Caroline Allen, Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust, who has been made a Dame to honour her commitment to transforming the lives of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Other recipients who have worked to help children with SEND and their families include Claire Pashley, a special educational needs music teacher, Brian Smith, teacher and founder of R.E.A.L Education and Katharine Fisher, founder of Little Discoverers, which supports children with disabilities and their families.
Three individuals – Dominique Unsworth, Francis Clayton and Elaine Billington – have been awarded MBEs for services to apprenticeships and Louise Proctor, head of the National Careers Service, has been awarded an OBE for her services to education and careers.
Jonathan Slater, Department for Education Permanent Secretary, said:
Congratulations to all those who have received an award in the New Year’s Honours List, particularly those who have been recognised for their achievements in education, children’s service, or increasing social mobility.
It’s important that people nominate that amazing person in their life who goes above and beyond so we can celebrate their achievements.
Nominating someone for an award
If you know someone working to improve education, children’s services, or social mobility who deserves an honour, please contact the Honours Team at honours.team@education.gov.uk
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)
| Name | Short citation |
|---|---|
| Dr Caroline Allen | Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust. For services to education. |
Companion of the Order of the Bath
| Name | Short citation |
|---|---|
| Indra Morris | Director General, Children’s Social Care, Social Mobility and Disadvantage, Department for Education. For services to social mobility. |
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
| Name | Short citation |
|---|---|
| Christine Hodgson | Chair, Capgemini UK and Chair, The Careers and Enterprise Company. For services to education. |
| Professor Peter John | Vice Chancellor, University of West London. For services to higher education. |
| Susan Pember | Director of Policy and External Relations, HOLEX. For services to adult education. |
| Michael Thompson | Chief Executive Officer, Childbase. For services to education and philanthropy. |
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
| Name | Short citation |
|---|---|
| Pauline Anderson | Director of Learning and Skills, Derby City Council and Chair of the Trustees of the Traveller Movement. For services to children and young people in education. |
| Mirella Bartrip | Lately Director of Dance, Trinity Laban. For services to dance education and training. |
| Rosemary Black | Lately Service Director, Education and Early years, Cornwall Council. For services to education. |
| Katherine Chhatwal | Chief executive, Challenge Partners and chair of Education, STEP Academy Trust, London. For services to education. |
| Florence Davies | Head of Director General Office and policy profession lead, Department for Education. For services to diversity and inclusion. |
| Renuka Dent (Renuka Jeyarajah-Dent) | Director of Operations and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Coram UK. For services to children and families. |
| Carol Dewhurst | Chief Executive Officer, Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust. For services to education. |
| Alastair Gibbons | Lately Executive Director for Children’s Services, Birmingham City Council. For services to social work. |
| Jennifer Gibbs | Principal, KLC School of Design. For services to higher education and the interior design industry. |
| Andrew Halls | Head Master, King’s College School, Wimbledon. For services to education. |
| Dr David Hewett | Co-founder, Intensive Interaction. For services to people with special educational needs and disabilities. |
| Neena Lall | Headteacher, St Stephen’s School and Children’s Centre, London Borough of Newham. For services to education. |
| James Lambert | Lately Chair and Trustee, IntoUniversity. For services to social mobility in education. |
| Michael Lock | Headteacher, Combe Pafford Special School. For services to children with special educational needs and disabilities. |
| Stephen Miley | Lately Director of Children’s Services, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. For services to children and families. |
| Philippa Nunn | Headteacher, Waldegrave School for Girls and Chief Executive Officer, The Richmond West Schools Trust. For services to education. |
| John O’Neill | Regional Director, Witherslack Group. For services to children with special educational needs and disabilities. |
| Barry Payne | Headteacher and Founder, The Wherry School. For services to children with special education needs and disabilities. |
| Corrienne Peasgood | Principal, City College, Norwich. For services to safeguarding and construction skills in Norfolk. |
| Louise Proctor | Head, National Careers Service. For services to education and careers. |
| Graham Razey | Chief Executive Officer, EKC Group and Member, Principals’ Reference Group. For services to education. |
| Fiona Rigby | Headteacher, St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School, Hallam. For services to education. |
| Edward Vainker | Co-Founder and Executive Principal, Reach Academy, Feltham. For services to education. |
| Christopher Wheatley | Chief Executive Officer, The Flying High Trust, Nottingham. For services to education. |
| Juliet Wright | Headteacher, Bankfoot Primary School, Bradford. For services to families and children. |
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
| Name | Short citation |
|---|---|
| Diana Batchelor | Principal and Chief Executive, Abingdon and Witney College. For services to further and adult education. |
| Professor Kalwant Bhopal. | Race Equality Champion. For services to equality in education. |
| Elaine Margaret Billington | Lately Chair, North West Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network. For services to apprenticeships and young people in north-west England. |
| Dominic Boddington | Founder, Respect4us and lately Vice Principal, Open Academy. For services to alternative education in Norfolk. |
| Barbara Böhm | Governor, Chaigeley School, Warrington. For services to education in the UK and East Africa. |
| Jenifer Burden | For services to education. |
| David Burns | Author. For services to children and young people with autism. |
| John Butler | Lately Chair of Governors, Furness College. For services to further education |
| Razia Butt | Independent Education Adviser, Birmingham City Council. For services to education. |
| Robert Caddy | Foster Carer, Hampshire County Council. For services to children. |
| Linda Caddy | Foster Carer, Hampshire County Council. For services to children. |
| Aziza Chaudry | Quality Manager, Adult Education Wolverhampton. For services to education. |
| Daisy Christodoulou | Director of Education, No More Marking. For services to education. |
| Francis Clayton | Chair, Yorkshire and the Humber Apprenticeship Ambassador Network. For services to apprenticeships. |
| Peter Colenutt | Lately Chair, Education Building Development Officer’s Group. For services to education. |
| Lisa Dancer | Adult Education Quality Manager. For services to adult learners with mental health issues in the London Borough of Hillingdon. |
| Esther Fajoye | Team Leader, London Borough of Camden. For services to children and young people. |
| Kathryn Farrington | Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator, Drighlington Primary School, Leeds. For services to children and young people. |
| Tania Findlay | Teacher, St Newlyn East Learning Academy. For services to education. |
| Susan Gahan | Nursery Principal, Zebedee Nursery School, South West London and Volunteer, Steward’s Trust. For services to education. |
| Ms Shakuntla Gittins | Foster Carer, London Borough of Ealing. For services to children. |
| Andrea Hider | Foster Carer, Amicus Foster Care. For services to children and young People in Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset. |
| Maureen Hughes | Foster Carer, Leeds City Council. For services to children and young people in Leeds. |
| William Hughes | Foster Carer, Leeds City Council. For services to children and young people in Leeds. |
| Shelly James | Volunteer Carer Supporter. For services to kinship care. |
| Carolyn Keen | Chair of Governors, Westminster Adult Education Service. For services to adult education and the community in London. |
| Joanne Kenny | Assistant Headteacher, Ashton on Mersey School, Greater Manchester. For services to education. |
| Amy Leonard | Founder, Transformation Trust. For services to young people and education. |
| Donna Lewis | Foster Carer, Derbyshire County Council. For services to children. |
| Carl Mitchell | Foster Parent, Blackpool Council. For services to children and young People in Blackpool. |
| Diane Mitchell | Foster Parent, Blackpool Council. For services to children and young People in Blackpool. |
| Jennifer Monk | Head of Education, Clayfield House. For services to vulnerable young people. |
| Claire Pashley | Music Teacher and Chief Examiner, Victoria College Examinations. For services to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. |
| Michelle Paul | Chair of Trustees, Turn Around. For services to literacy and numeracy. |
| Ms Verna Pollard | Foster Carer, Plymouth City Council. For services to children. |
| Sukwinder Samra | Headteacher, Elmhurst School and Director, Elmhurst TSA. For services to education. |
| Susan Samson | Chief Executive Officer, University of Chichester Multi-Academy Trust. For services to education. |
| Brian Smith | Teacher and Founder, R.E.A.L Education. For services to young people with special educational needs and disabilities. |
| Hugh Steele | Lately Headteacher, The Dales Special School, Northumberland. For services to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. |
| Ruth Terry | Head of Service, Children’s Social Work, Leeds City Council. For services to children and families. |
| Dominique Unsworth | For services to apprenticeships. |
| Peter Walters | Training Manager, WorldSkills UK. For services to the WorldSkills competition. |
| Angela Wright | Foster Carer, Wakefield Metropolitan District Council. For services to children in Wakefield |
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire
| Name | Short citation |
|---|---|
| James Booth | For services to charity and the community in Devon and Somerset. |
| Valerie Cadd | Chair of Governors, St John’s CE Academy, Darlington and Leader and Commissioner, Girlguiding UK. For services to education. |
| Katharine Fisher | Chair, Little Discoverers, West Norfolk School for Parents, Kings Lynn. For services to children with disabilities and their families. |
| Georgina Gibbons | Teacher, Shrewsbury Opportunity Group. For services to education in Shropshire. |
| Timothy Merrett | Dairy Farmer. For services to education in Gloucestershire. |
| Heidi Murphy | For services to education. |
| Owen O’Toole | Teacher, Southborough High School. For services to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. |
| Amanda Reeve | Curriculum Manager, Norfolk County Council Adult Learning. For services to education. |
| Ernest Rhoden | Senior Science Laboratory Technician, Maria Fidelis Secondary School, Camden. For services to education. |
| Kaiya Swain | For services to the WorldSkills competition. |
Read the full list and more about the honours system.