Revealed: Education figures in King’s Birthday Honours list 2025

Two multi-academy trust CEOs have been appointed as a knight and a dame commander in the King’s Birthday Honours.
Lesley Powell, CEO of the North East Learning Trust, has been appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the latest honours, while Delta Academies Trust CEO Paul Tarn has been appointed as a Knight Bachelor.
Meanwhile, Cathie Paine, CEO of REAch2 Academy Trust, has been appointed CBE along with former NASUWT general secretary Dr Patrick Roach, and Peter Hyman, former adviser to the prime minister.
Former Education and Skills Funding Agency chief executive and Department for Education board member Peter Lauener has also been appointed as a Knight Bachelor.
Sir Paul said he was “humbled by the award and moved that my colleagues and fellow professionals want to recognise my contribution to our education system.”
“I’d like to pay tribute to the work of my colleagues and the team at Delta Academies Trust that I am very privileged to lead,” he added.
Ms Paine said she was delighted to receive the honour.
“This recognition is not a reflection of me alone, but of the incredible colleagues that I’ve worked alongside throughout my career, who have encouraged me and tirelessly championed children,” she added.
The list includes many teachers and trust executives from schools, MATs, the DfE and more.
Here is a comprehensive list of schools sector figures on the honours list:
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)
Lesley Powell CBE, chief executive, North East Learning Trust
Knight Bachelor
Peter Lauener CB, lately chief executive of the Education and Skills Funding Agency and board member at the Department for Education
Paul Tarn, chief executive of Delta Academies Trust
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Peter Hyman, lately senior adviser to Sir Keir Starmer, educationalist, co-founder of School 21 and Voice 21, and founder of School 360
Catherine Paine, chief executive, REAch2 Academy Trust
Dr Patrick Roach, lately general secretary, NASUWT
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Dr Jamie Clarke, chief executive officer, Tove Learning Trust
Peter Cohen, lately headteacher, Oak Bank School, Bedfordshire
Dr Christine Counsell, director, Opening Worlds
Julie Deville, chief executive, Extol Academy Trust
Dr Stefanie Edwards, lately chief executive, Learn Academies Trust
Lisa Fathers, deputy chief executive, Bright Futures Educational Trust
Sian Hampton, chief executive, Archway Learning Trust
Rebekah Iiyambo, chief executive, Eko Trust
Christina Jones, chief executive, River Tees Multi-Academy Trust
Dr Peter Kent, chair of trustees, The Griffin Primary School, Warwickshire
Lisa Mannall, lately chief executive, Cornwall Education Learning Trust and Department for Education regional schools commissioner in the South West
Theresa Mason, chair, Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust
Wayne Norrie, chief executive, The Greenwood Academies Trust
Sarah Steel, lately chair of trustees, National Day Nurseries Association and chief executive, The Old Station Nursery Group
Dr Gillian Stewart, director of qualifications development, Scottish Qualifications Authority
Dr Diane Swift, trustee, The Creative Learning Partnership Trust
Simon White, lately chief executive, Vision Academy Learning Trust
Stuart Worden, principal, The BRIT School
Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Farhan Adam, headteacher Crown Hills Community College
Anthony Chalmers, assistant director, Department for Education
Laura Clarke, headteacher, Rowan Gate Primary School, Wellingborough
Dr Paula Cowan, reader in education, School of Education, University of the West of Scotland, and founder and director, Vision Schools Scotland
Joanne Currie, principal, Cairnshill Integrated Primary School, Belfast
Robert Davies, governor, Bank View High School, Merseyside
Catherine Drew, deputy headteacher, Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children, London
Pamela Duncan-Glancy MSP, member of the Scottish Parliament for the Glasgow Region
Graham Goldup, lately senior assistant headteacher, Cardinal Newman Catholic School, in East Sussex, and geography CPD coordinator, The Prince’s Teaching Institute
Janet Harding, lately special educational needs coordinator, Hamstead Junior School, Birmingham
Claire Harnden, deputy chief executive officer, South Farnham Educational Trust
Sally Hunston, director of strategy, The Gallery Trust
Sharon Jarrett, headteacher, Amersham School, Buckinghamshire
Pravin Jethwa, delivery officer, Regions Group London, Department for Education
Joanne Jones, lately headteacher, Story Wood School, Birmingham
Elaine Kennedy, chair, board of governors, Fivemiletown College, Northern Ireland
Dr Christine Lingard, lately headteacher, Ravenscliffe High School, West Yorkshire
James Manwaring, director of music, The Windsor Boys’ School
David Mitchell, executive headmaster, Dunoon Grammar School, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Allison Moise-Dixon, headteacher, St Bernard’s High School, Essex
Gerida Montague-Munson, executive headteacher, Learning Federation Partnership of Schools
Gareth Moss, chair of trustees, John Taylor Multi-Academy Trust
Leon Myers, headteacher, Swinemoor Primary School, East Riding of Yorkshire
Lee Parkinson, education consultant and primary school teacher, Davyhulme Primary School, Manchester
Jennifer Pogue, principal, Arellian Nursery School, Belfast
Susan Raven, principal, The Centre School, Cambridgeshire
Claire Render, chief executive, The Good Shepherd Multi-Academy Trust
Carolyn Roberts, lately headteacher, Thomas Tallis School, Greenwich
Melvyn Roffe, lately principal, George Watson’s College, Edinburgh
Aruna Sharma, lately headteacher, Villiers High School, London
Christopher Simmons, lately chair, Ad Astra Academy Trust, County Durham
Stephanie Slater, founder and chief executive, School Food Matters and co-chair, School Food Alliance
Sarah Smith, Birmingham Diocesan director of education and chair, Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust
Deborah Thompson, chair, Ivy Learning Trust
Dean Webster, founder and lately headteacher, Mercia School, South Yorkshire
Cheryl Weyman, chief executive officer, The Academies for Character and Excellence Trust
Paul Wilsher, commercial support, Department for Education
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
Catherine Duru, special educational needs coordinator and cover teacher, Tachbrook Nursery School, London
Zoe Huggins, chair, Lighthouse Learning Trust
Janette Lightfoot, lately teaching assistant, Stewart Fleming Primary School, London
Susan Mapp, special educational needs and disability co-educator, Cooks Spinney Primary Academy, Essex
Lorraine McCann, management side officer, Education Authority, Armagh, Northern Ireland
Christine McKeeman, lately unit catering supervisor, Straidbilly Primary School, Northern Ireland
Beverley Phillips, premises manager, Goose Green Primary School, London
Emma Phillips, deputy headteacher, Limpsfield Grange School, Surrey
Jessica Prosser, early years learning support assistant, Tachbrook Nursery School, London
Paul Salver, holocaust educator, Holocaust Educational Trust, and deputy chair, Remembering Srebrenica Board for the East of England
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