Source: - The Education Hub - GOV.UK blogs
More Than 100 Education and Social Care Leaders
Honoured in King’s New Year Honours List 2026
The King's New Year Honours List 2026 honors more than 100 people from
all over the UK for their outstanding work in education, skills development,
children's services, and social care. This year's awards shine a bright light
on people who have spent their careers making life better for children, teens,
and families, especially in communities that don't get enough help.
The people who got the awards come from a wide range of fields in education and
care, such as teachers, school leaders, early years specialists, youth workers,
social care professionals, and community advocates. The list includes many
people whose work has mostly been behind the scenes but has made lasting
improvements in family support and educational outcomes, in addition to senior
leaders.
The King's New Year Honours List 2026 are based on national goals for attendance, inclusion, early
intervention, skills development, and special educational needs. Awards like
the Companion of the Order of the British Empire and the British Empire Medal
have been given out to people who have served for a long time, come up with new
ideas, and led others.
Beth Gibson, who is in charge of Attendance and Inclusive Pathways at
Birmingham City Council, is one of the people who has been honored for her work
in education. Beth is credited with leading groundbreaking work to improve
school attendance by developing a data-led, banded attendance model that
significantly raised attendance levels at The Queen Elizabeth Academy. Her
method has since had an impact on practice outside of the local authority.
Beth also set up a structured attendance program that focused on mental health,
resilience, and goals. She also made practical changes, like adding free
breakfast clubs and more extracurricular activities. Her work helped rebuild
trust and a sense of belonging for students who were most likely to drop out by
changing school environments and getting families more involved, including a
big increase in home visits. In 2025, she shared her model at Department for
Education conferences all over the country, reaching thousands of school leaders.
Jane Wheeler has been given an MBE for her work at Sunderland City Council,
where she helped children and families. Jane has been a key player in making
early intervention services stronger as the Early Help Service Assistant
Director. This makes sure that families get help before problems get worse.
Ofsted praised Sunderland's Family Help service as a very effective model
during its 2022 inspection, thanks to her leadership.
Jane's recognition also shows her dedication to helping vulnerable children,
such as the long-term support she gave to a care leaver with complicated needs.
Her work has been focused on improving results through working together,
preventing problems, and leading with care.
Sir Steve Taylor, the Chief Executive Officer of the Cabot Learning Federation,
has been knighted for his work in education. He has been in charge of the
Bristol-based multi-academy trust for more than ten years, and during that time
it has grown a lot. It now has 36 schools across Gloucestershire and Somerset and
serves more than 18,000 students. The federation has built a strong reputation
for making schools that aren't doing well better by focusing on fairness,
collaboration, and improving the whole system under his leadership.
The King's New Year Honours List 2026 also includes people who have made contributions to community
learning, skills, and further education. Kath Geraghty got an MBE for her work
at the National Theatre to promote technical qualifications and
apprenticeships. This has helped more people get jobs in the creative industry.
Ranu Mehta Radia started the Sai School of Harrow and has been honored for her
work in education that helps kids from low-income families.
Judith Charlesworth has been given an MBE for more than 50 years of work with
kids with special needs and disabilities. Heather Sandy has been given a CBE
for her work as a leader in children's services at Lincolnshire County Council.
Nikolaos Savvas has been named an OBE for making West Suffolk College a
regional leader in inclusive higher education.
This year's honors recognize the dedication, compassion, and impact of people
who work in education and care. They show how important these people are in
shaping opportunities and making lives better all over the UK.
Also Read :- Education Excellence Magazine For more information
