NEWS FOCUS
NEW YEAR HONOURS
The hard work and dedication of school leaders has been recognised in the Queen’s annual New Year Honours List. Honours range from knighthoods and damehoods for executive head teachers to MBEs for dedicated assistant heads. Those on the list had to keep the award secret from late November when they were informed until just after Christmas. Julie Mudd (pictured) will be one of many school leaders who receives an OBE at Buckingham Palace on 26 March. She told LF: “I didn’t expect it and I have no idea who nominated me, but it’s nice for special education to get the recognition.”
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For their services to education
Julie’s school, Ivel Valley Special School in Biggleswade, has been through a merger, set up a satellite class at a mainstream school and offers outreach support to other schools in the area. It also provides the autism advisory service for central Bedfordshire. “More and more is being
Knight and Damehoods Sir George Berwick, head, Ravens Wood School, Bromley Dame Sally Coates DBE, principal, Burlington Danes Academy, Hammersmith Dame Helen Hyde DBE, headmistress, Watford Grammar School for Girls Dame Joan McVittie DBE, head, Woodside High School, Haringey Dame Vicki Paterson DBE, executive head, Brindishe Green School, Brindishe Lee School and Lee Manor School, Lewisham Sir Christopher Stone, executive head, the Arthur Terry and Stockland Green schools, Birmingham Sir Nick Williams, lately principal of the BRIT School, Croydon CBE Tracey Kneale, head, Marlbrook Primary School, Herefordshire Jane Lees, lately head, Hindley High School, Wigan Stephen Munday, principal of Comberton Village College, Cambridgeshire, and national leader in education, NCSL
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added to our role,” she said. “We’re no longer just here for the children that we teach within the school.” Joining her at the Palace will be Felicity Greeves, principal at Blackpool Sixth Form College. Hers will soon become the first teaching school in the post16 sector. The college is also
Carolyn Robson, head, Rushey Mead School, Leicester, and lately executive head of Fullhurst College, Leicester OBE Richard Aird, head, Barrs Court School, Herefordshire Anne Bleasdale, head, Laneshaw Bridge Primary School, Lancashire Janet Bridges, head, Castle View Academy, Sunderland Susan Davies, head, Cynffig Comprehensive School, Bridgend Dr Jonathan Godfrey, principal, Hereford Sixth Form College Felicity Greeves, principal, Blackpool Sixth Form College Michael Hirst, lately head, Ravenscliffe High School and Sports College, Halifax Susan Maria Jenkins, head, St Joseph’s Roman Catholic High School, Newport Deborah Leek-Bailey, head, Babington House School, Bromley, Kent Julie Mudd, head, Ivel Valley Special School, Bedfordshire Keith Nancekievill, lately head, Hinchingbrooke School, Huntingdon,
sponsoring two academies – a primary and an allthrough school. The pair were happy to pass on their leadership tips. “The challenge is to be better and better,” said Felicity. “Once you get ‘outstanding’, you have to stay outstanding. The important thing is to build a great team around you.” Julie’s advice was: “Don’t be afraid to ask.You can’t know it all when you first take on a headship and you never stop learning. It can be a lonely job, everyone comes to you for support, but who do you go to? You really need your colleagues and I’ve also turned to the NAHT in the past.”
Cambridgeshire Margaret Nowell, head, St Thomas’s Centre Pupil Referral Unit, Blackburn with Darwen Council Alan Poyner Pritchard, lately head, Cyfarthfa High School, Merthyr Tydfil Lesley Walter, lately head, Boveridge SEN School, and school governor, Wimborne, Dorset Robert Yeomans, lately head, St John’s Primary School, Walsall MBE Alison Borgese, assistant head, All Saints Junior School, Maidenhead, Berkshire Albert Furze, (unpaid) education consultant and lately head of Bradstow SEN School, Broadstairs, Kent Peter Gross, assistant head, Enfield Grammar School Amanda Heslop, head, Wharf Nursery and Children’s Centre, Godalming, Surrey Kim Popratnjak, principal, North Birmingham Academy Terence Lynn Williams, lately head, Litchard Primary School, Bridgend
LEADERSHIP FOCUS ● MARCH/APRIL 2013
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