A RECORD number of headteachers celebrated the Millennium with a knighthood in Tony Blair’s New Year’s honours list.

The Government’s drive to champion those who turn around struggling schools continues apace.Four heads have been made knights or dames this year, the most since New Labour embarked on its campaign of “sirs for sirs” two years ago.

Three lollipop ladies, 10 teachers, two deputy heads, and another 22 headteachers were also honoured. The achievements of eight governors were recognised.

The three knighted heads have all sought to individualise their schools, transforming exam results and attracting more parents.

Copland community school and technology centre in Brent, north London, was threatened with closure a year after Alan Davies took over as head in 1988.

Now the school, 90 per cent of whose pupils come from ethnic minorities, can claim to be a role model for inner-city success. The proportion of pupils gaining five good GCSEs has climbed from 14 to 45 per cent, and it is now 40 per cent oversubscribed. Mr Davies said a key tactic has been the use of extra-curricular lessons on Saturdays and after school.

Bruce Liddington has presided over a similar turnaround at the Northamptonshire school for boys. Shortly after he arrived in 1986, the 458-year-old school was threatened with closure.

Now it is the most oversubscribed in the county, GCSE and A-level results have soared and the school has gained Technology College, Charter Mark and Investors in People status.

Mr Liddington, now also a part-time adviser to the Department for Education, says the school’s improvement is the result of the autonomy it gained by going grant-maintained in 1991.

The third new knight is Michael Wilshaw, head of St Bonaventure’s school, Newham. In 1994, St Bonaventure’s was the first school in east London to become a technology college. It has been among the country’s most improved schools at GCSE for the past three years.

And Marlene Robottom, who has become a dame, hauled GCSE results at the Mulberry school for girls, also in east London, above the national average, despite the fact that 99 per cent of pupils speak English as a second language.

Other honours include a CBE for Anna White, the head of the Ridings school, once dubbed the worst in Britain, but given a clean bill of health by inspectors last September. The same honour goes to Kathleen Fairweather, a chief inspector of schools in Scotland.

Four winners from last summer’s first national teaching awards are also mentioned. Maureen Davies, from St Sebastian’s primary school, Liverpool, who won the lifetime achievement award, receives the CBE, while OBEs went to Norma Machell, Primary Teacher of the Year; Romilda Scannelli, Secondary Teacher of the Year and Robert Jennings who won the Camelot Award for working with parents.

Educational philanthropist Peter Lampl, the man behind the country’s first “open access” independent day school and Oxbridge summer schools for state sixth-formers, receives an OBE.

KNIGHTHOODS

Alan Davies, headteacher, Copland community school and technology centre, north London.

Professor Martin Best Harris, vice-chancellor, University of Manchester.

Professor Charles Hoare, Cambridge.

Bruce Liddington, head, Northampton school for boys.

Michael Wilshaw, head, St Bonaventure’s school, east London.

COMPANIONS OF THE ORDER OF THE BATH

David Normington, director general for schools, Department for Education and Employment.

DAMES

Professor Jill MacLeod Clark, for services to nursing education.

Marlene Robottom, head, Mulberry school for girls, east London.

Professor Patricia Morgan-Webb. chief executive, New College, Nottingham.

CBE

Sarah Anderson, for services to training and enterprise.

Professor John Andrews, chief executive, Welsh Funding Council.

Professor Robert Boucher, principal and vice-chancellor, UMIST.

Kenneth Cook, head, Fir Vale School, Sheffield.

Maureen Davies, teacher, St Sebastian’s primary school, Liverpool.

Professor Charles Easmon, for services to medical education.

Anne Fagan, head, John Ogilvie high school, Hamilton.

Kathleen Fairweather, a chief inspector of schools in Scotland.

Thomas Hemsley, singer and teacher.

Robert Jones, president, National Library of Wales.

Clive Leach, chairman, Leeds Training and Enterprise Council.

Julian Markham, chairman, Court of Governors, London Institute.

Edward McIntyre, principal, Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies.

Rama Nand-Lal, lately chairman of governors, Swindon College, Wiltshire. Ava Sturridge-Packer, head, St Mary’s primary school, Birmingham.

Anna White, head, Ridings School, Halifax, West Yorkshire.

The Rt Rev David Young. lately Bishop of Ripon, services to Church of England and education.

OBE

John Allen, services to secondary education in Belfast.

Hilary Anslow, principal, King George V College, Southport.

Jennifer Arwas, head, Lea infant school, Slough, Berkshire

Kenneth Bain, lately head, Purcell School of Music, Hertfordshire.

Professor Janet Bainbridge, for services to science and technology.

Helen Ball, head, St John The Evangelist primary, Clevedon, Somerset.

William Barber, rector, Lossiemouth high school.

Professor Geoffrey Boulton, University of Edinburgh.

Roger Brind, head, Trelai primary school, Cardiff.

Professor Dugald Cameron, lately director, Glasgow School of Art.

William Caves, services to education in Glasgow.

Jennifer Chew, English teacher, Strode’s sixth-form college, Surrey.

Jeffrey Cocks, chair, Fforwm, services to further education.

Esme Corner, head, Heacham middle school, Norfolk.

Paul Dick, head, Kennet school, Berkshire.

Mary Drabble, lately director of education, BBC.

Philip Drakeford, manager, Dyfed Education Business Partnership.

Sheila Drury, chair, North Wales Training and Enterprise Council.

Joyce Ferguson, head, Abercromby primary, Tullibody,Clackmannan.

Michael Garrity, head, department of nursing, University of Salford.

Malcolm Hewitt, lately director, National Educational Assessment

Centre.

David Holloway, Tower Hamlets Summer University.

Professor Stephen Holt, lately rector, Roehampton Institute, London.

Robert Jennings, community links co-ordinator, St. George community school, Bristol.

Colette Kelleher, director of the Daycare Trust.

Peter Lampl, chair, Sutton Trust.

Anne Longfield, chief executive, Kids’ Club Network.

Christine Mabey, lately secretary and clerk to the governors, Birkbeck College.

Norma Machell, deputy head, Scarcroft primary school, York.

William Masterson, for services to further and higher education, Newry.

Edward McGinnis, special adviser, MENCAP.

Mary McGowan, senior tutor, University of Warwick..

Ian Miller, lately secretary, Napier University.

Brian Minto, vice-chairman, Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Ashwin Mistry, director, Leicestershire Training and Enterprise Council.

Lawrence Montagu, head, St Peter’s high school, Gloucester.

Professor Alun Morris, University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Margaret Pollard, head, Richmond Park, Glasgow.

Jon Power, Department for Education and Employment.

Kenneth Pritchard, chief education adviser, West Sussex.

Keith Reynolds, chairman, Park Lane College Corporation, Leeds.

Elizabeth Richards, head, Manselton primary school, Swansea.

Rosemary Roberts, director,

Peers Early Education Partnership, Oxfordshire.

Stuart Saunders, head, Ysgol Rhydygors, Carmarthen.

Romilda Scannelli, mathematics teacher, Uplands Community College, Wadhurst.

James Seton, Scottish Agricultural College, Inverness.

Elizabeth Smith, national officer, TUC Learning Services.

Anne Stewart, headteacher, Raploch primary school, Stirling.

Rex Walford, lately lecturer in geography and education, Cambridge

University.

Keith Weller, head, qualifications division, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

Denis Wilson, for services to higher education, Belfast.

MBE (Members of the Order of the British Empire)

Isobel Aiken, for services to education, Ballymena, Antrim

Joan Archer, lecturer in creative studies, South Trafford College.

Vanessa Aris, chairman of governors, Belmont School, Cheltenham.

Colin Baillie, assistant rector, Millburn Academy.

John Bannister, principal lecturer and director of music, Bishop Grosseteste College, Lincoln.

Elizabeth Bird, senior lecturer in continuing education, University of Bristol.

Euphemia Black, lately head, Achaleven primary, Argyllshire.

Barbara Booth, headteacher, Shadsworth infants, Blackburn.

Kenneth Bridges, governor, Camden junior school, Sutton, London.

Terence Broad, teacher, Newquay Treviglas school, Cornwall.

Margaret Brown, school-crossing patrol, Blackpool, Lancashire.

Jane Clark, head, Clippens school, Linwood, Renfrewshire.

Margaret Clark, special needs co-ordinator, Christ Church high school, Ashford, Kent.

Sheamus Cox, services to higher and further education, Kilfennan, Londonderry.

David Cragg, chief executive, Birmingham and Solihull Training and Enterprise Council.

Vanessa Cunningham, for services to Cardiff University.

Betty Dockney, head, faculty of foundation studies, College of West Anglia. William Dunbar, services to education, Belfast.

James Ferguson, Department for Education and Employment.

Colin Foster, Department for Education and Employment.

Cicely Fuller, member, special needs tribunal, Oxford.

John Gilleghan, local and natural history teacher, Leeds.

Gael Grant, services to higher education, Belfast.

Sidney Green, for services to schools’ football.

Jennifer Honeyball, assistant head, school of science, health and care, Middlesbrough College.

Susan Horne, for services to space science and to education.

Wendy Hubbard, Fire Service College, Home Office.

Charles Hutchinson, county adviser for 14-19 education, Suffolk.

Thomas Kane, court office steward, University of Glasgow.

Eileen Kelly, services to adult education, Belfast.

Mary Kennedy, lately principal teacher of chemistry, Holyrood secondary school, Glasgow.

Muriel Laing, head, Bishoploch primary school, Dunbartonshire.

Philip Latham, for services to the community, especially schools’ sport, in Batley, West Yorkshire.

Alexander Lindsay, supervisory technician, Mackie Academy, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.

Mary Loney, access tutor in art and design, Calderdale College.

Margaret Luckett, lately school crossing patrol, Prittlewell, Essex.

Terence Maddix, lately site agent, Grange school, Kempston, Bedford. Douglas Matheson, for services to Scottish art and design education.

Patricia Maude, head of PE, Homerton College, Cambridge.

Kenneth McKenzie, principal teacher of guidance, Northfield Academy Aberdeen.

George McLaughlin, lately audio visual technician, University of Aberdeen. Anthony Mogford, for services to education in Buckinghamshire.

Rita Molland, teacher of computer studies for visually disabled people, Salisbury College.

Andrew Morrison, services to education, Belfast.

Nancy Ovens, for services to vocational education and training in sport, recreation and playwork, Edinburgh.

Sybil Ovenstone, for services to University College, Oxford.

Raymond Parsons, farm manager, Easton College, Norwich.

Barbara Paxman, secretary, Hertford College, Oxford.

Francis Perowne, chairman of governors, Fakenham high school, Norfolk.

Pamela Pile, chair of governors, Rodborough secondary school and Milford infants school, Surrey.

Margaret Platts, deputy head, Greenhead grammar, West Yorkshire.

Harry Ranson, governor, sixth-form college, Farnborough.

Geoffrey Reynolds, for services to schools’ football.

Elizabeth Rhodes, director, Shell technology enterprise programme. Gerard Roddy, director, sports

development and recreation, Bath

University.

Doreen Round, catering supervisor, Bede College and cleaner, St Michael’s school, Billingham, Teesside. Christina Rowe, school-crossing patrol, Huyton, Liverpool.

William Herbert Senior, for services to education, Yorkshire.

Barbara Seward, chair of governors, Joydens Wood infants, Bexley, Kent.

Agnes Shields, services to education, Carrickfergus, Antrim.

Frances Skelton, services to nursery education, Belfast.

Kathleen Stewart, headteacher, Barry primary school, Carnoustie.

Maureen Ternent, for services to Northumberland LEA.

Marian Vanstone, for services to the Dame Hannah Rogers school for disabled children, Ivybridge, Devon.

Jeffrey Vent, appeal secretary, Coventry School Foundation.

George Walker, governor, Emley first school, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Robert Wall, services to education, Station Town, County Durham.

Susan Walton, lately chief steward, school of management studies for the service sector, University of Surrey.

David Watson, catering manager, University College, Durham.

Margaret Whalley, founder, Pen Green Centre for Early Years, Corby, Northamptonshire.

Susan Whalley, information technology manager, William Austin junior school, Luton.

Colin White, honorary secretary, Association of Retired HMIs.

Robert Wilkinson, lately commissionaire, Sheffield Hallam University.

Edward Williams, chair of governors, Birkenhead sixth-form college. Carole Wynn, head, careers service, University of Portsmouth.