Among those singled out, were two headteachers who become dames. A further 58 people, ranging from teachers to caretakers and governors to lollipop ladies, were rewarded with either CBEs, OBEs or MBEs. The number of knights and dames among educationists now stands at 15, according to Downing Street.

The public nominated more than 40 per cent of those ultimately recognised for outstanding achievement by both the Queen and the Prime Minister.

Those included in the latest honours were Geraldine Keegan, head of St Mary’s College, Londonderry for 13 years who is made a dame. “I am thrilled,” she said. “I appreciate this as a personal honour but it also recognises the work in the school and the community.”

Dame Geraldine, who began her career as a secondary teacher of music, English and history, was awarded an OBE in 1995 for services to education.

She won acclaim for using business methods brought back from her secondment to Northern Ireland Electricity, to turn around her 1,000-pupil girls’ school.

St Mary’s College has since won 11 national awards for education and training and was the first school in Northern Ireland to win the European Award for Business Excellence. Dame Geraldine became pro vice-chancellor of the University of Ulster in 1997.

Judith Kilpatrick, head of the City of Portsmouth girls’ school, was also made a Dame. “I am absolutely delighted. But it’s not something you do on your own, it also reflects the work of the school and the community.”

Mrs Kilpatrick has been head of the 1,000-pupil Beacon school for five years. She was also head at Wavell school, Farnborough, and deputy head at King Richard, Paulsgrove.

Also honoured was John Stannard, director of the National Literacy Centre, who was made a CBE. He is a former senior lecturer in primary studies and an early-years specialist who also took an interest in child development.

He kept diaries about his own children which he has often used in talks and lectures. He spent 10 years as the senior adviser with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate before he became director of the National Literacy Centre.

Anthea Millett received a CBE in recognition of her work as chief executive of the Teacher Training Agency which she set up. She was deputy head of Tile Hill comprehensive in Coventry for five years before joining HMI where she worked for 13 years before taking charge at the agency.

Bob Clark received a CBE too in recognition for his services to education. The director of education at Wigan was brought in to run Liverpool after a critical inspection report.

Order of the Bath

Companion

Peter Alan Shaw, director general, Finance and analytical education and employment, Department for Education and Employment.

Royal Victorian Order

Lieutenant

Gerald William Priestman Barber, and Charles Nicholas John Marston, joint headmasters of Ludgrove School, Wokingham,

Berkshire.

Order of the British Empire

Dame Commander

Geraldine Mary Marcella Keegan, for services to secondary education.

Judith Ann Gladys Kilpatrick, headteacher, City of Portsmouth Girls’ School.

CBE

Bob Clark, director of education, Wigan, Merseyside.

Kathleen Margaret Gibbons, headteacher, St Kentigern’s

Academy, Bathgate.

Yvonne Clare Jeffries, former headteacher, Haywood high school, Stoke on Trent.

Anthea Christine Millett, former chief executive of the Teacher

Training Agency.

John Stannard, director, National

Literacy Strategy, Department for Education and Employment.

Saxon Spence, Devon county councillor and former chair of the Conference of Local Education Authorities. Janet Anne Warwick, headteacher, Rhyn Park school, St Martins, Oswestry, Shropshire.

OBE

Elizabeth, Lady Andrew, for services to the Prisoners’ Education Trust.

Barbara Beels, headteacher,

Wingate nursery school, Durham.

James Anthony Burke, headteacher, Cardinal Heenan RC high school, Liverpool.

James Gerard Connelly, headteacher, Firpark school, for services to pupils with special educational needs, Motherwell.

Wendy Elizabeth Crockett, special educational needs co-ordinator, Alderman Blaxill School, Colchester.

Patrick Francis Curran, civil

servant with the DFEE

James Adams Fleming, headteacher, Balfron high school,

Balfron, Stirlingshire.

Gillian Haynes, chief executive, National Childminding Association.

Jean Heslop, headteacher,

Mixenden junior and infants school, Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Anthony Keeley, depute chief

development officer, Higher Still

Development Unit, Edinburgh

Anthony James Kenny, headteacher, Harborne junior school, Birmingham.

Catherine MacLeod, headteacher, Isobel Mair school, Clarkston, East Renfrewshire.

John Gerald Mulgrew, director of education, East Ayrshire Council.

Keith Clifford Parry, director of information and communications

technology, Hyde Technology School, Tameside, Manchester.

Thomas John Parry, head of Tonyrefail comprehensive school, south Wales.

Sue Parsons, headteacher, Llanidloes community primary school, Powys.

Elizabeth Roberts, headteacher, Hawarden Infants School, Flintshire.

Elizabeth Seddon, teacher, Elmtree School, Chesham, Buckinghamshire.

Mary Thorley, primary education adviser for Pembrokeshire.

Isobel Scott-Telford Veitch, headteacher, Williamston primary school, Livingston, West Lothian.

MBE

Edward Abbott, senior caretaker, Walton comprehensive school,

Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

George William Adamson, co-ordinator of music and expressive performing arts, Duchess’s County High School, Alnwick, Northumberland.

David Laurie Agass, extra-curriculum sports co-ordinator, Langdon school, Newham.

Hambia Irene Christoforou, head of art and design, Sion Manning school, Kensington and Chelsea.

Joan Coleman, special needs

co-ordinator, Harry Cheshire high school, Worcestershire.

Anne Abbot Combe, teacher,

Starley Hall School, Fife.

Susan Gallagher, bursar, Pear Tree special school, Kirkham, Lancashire.

Jean Laura Hannam, headteacher, Bodnant infants school, Prestatyn, north Wales.

Molly Evelyn Hooker, governor, Nicholas CE school, Cottesmore,

Rutland.

Sheilagh Howe, for services to the community, especially Bankwood

primary, Gleadless, Sheffield.

Lilian Howells, headteacher, Palmerston primary school, Barry, South Wales. Wendy Hurford, headteacher, for services to education on Jersey.

Geoffrey Dawson Jennett, for services to Schools’ Association Football.

Brenda Margaret Jennison, for services to physics education.

Christina Ann MacDonald, headteacher, Laxdale primary school. Stornoway, Western Isles.

Joyce Marr, school secretary, Johns-haven primary school, Kincardine.

Marlene Valerie Matthews, learning support assistant, Kings Hedges school, Cambridge.

Anna Marie McAlister, teacher, Sladefield infant school, Birmingham.

John McLure, janitor, Kirkcaldy high school, Fife.

Colin Peter Metcalfe, governor. Roundwood Park school, Hertfordshire.

Sin Hung Ng, honorary chairman, Newcastle Chinese School, Northumberland.

Anne Ilingworth Norris, for services to the community, especially education, in Westfield, Bexhill and Battle, East Sussex.

Margaret Bowie Weir Sharp, headteacher, head of Muir primary school, Falkirk.

Vivienne Marina Slater, former ancillary helper, William Harris special school, Lincolnshire.

Patrick George Stack, senior teacher, Sedgehill secondary school Lewisham, London.

Iris Selina Stewart, governor, George Green’s School, Tower

Hamlets, London.

Alan Geoffrey Stockwell, owner, Stockwell Puppet Theatre for services to education in north-east England.

Georgina Anna Webber, English co-ordinator, Sacred Heart primary school, Knowsley, Merseyside.

Glesni Whettleton, headteacher, Ysgol Y Wern school, Cardiff.

Gordon Tom Wills, premises

manager, Moorfields primary school, London.

Diane Doreen Wright, school

crossing patrol, Warwickshire County Council.

CollegeHonours, FE Focus, III