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

Delta CEO Paul Tarn has been given a knighthood and North East Learning Trust CEO Lesley Powell has been appointed dame
13th June 2025, 10:30pm

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

https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/education-figures-kings-birthday-honours-list-2025
King's new years honours list

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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