HEADTEACHERS, classroom staff, school secretaries and nursery nurses were singled out for recognition in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in which the education world was strongly represented.
The work of council officials and staff of the Department for Education and Skills was also recognised.
Robert Dowling, of George Dixon international school in Birmingham, became the latest state-sector headteacher to be awarded a knighthood for his success in turning around two failing schools.
Also knighted was Tony Vineall, aged 72, who stepped down in May as chair of the School Teachers’ Review Body after the publication of the group’s latest report on workload.
David Moore, chief executive of the Association for Science Education, received an OBE while Valerie Moody, national education liaison officer for the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain, received an MBE for services to traveller children.
A lifetime’s work with special needs pupils also earned 60-year-old nursery nurse Anne Sterry the MBE.
She said: “Special needs provision has developed from nowhere since I started out and I’m honoured to have played a part in that progress.”
Staff at Hammersmith and Fulham education authority were also celebrating after their outgoing chief education officer and her replacement were awarded CBEs.
The London authority announced this week that Christine Whatford will step down in August to be replaced by Sandy Adamson, divisional manager of the DFES’s pupil standards division. “It is obviously a sign of the quality of the LEA,” said Mrs Whatford.
