Out of 21,356 headteachers in England, only 277 are Black! Who are they?
BGM headteachers. Left to right: 1) Matt Jones 2) Ava Sturridge-Packer 3) David Hermitt 4) Diana Osagie 5) Jacqueline Newsome 6) Paul Mundy-Castle
Before starting my master’s in educational leadership and enrolling on the BME leadership development programme, I had never heard of or met a Black Headteacher/Principal. Within the school environment, black staff are typically represented in non-teaching roles such as; classroom assistance, pastoral staff, lunchtime supervisors and cleaners. This was the spark to dig deeper into the rabbit hole and research into the under-representation of Black senior leaders in Education. Click here to read the report.
There are currently 21.356 headteachers in England, however, only 277 are black. The statistics present a major concern; the ratio of Black and global majority (BGM) leaders to BGM students is disproportionate compared to that of their White counterparts. On a positive note, Black headteachers do exist and are flying the flag and contributing towards changing the narrative of the Black and Global Majority representation in education. They are living proof that the concrete ceiling can be broken and have laid the foundation for the future generation of BGM majority teachers. Here are some of the BGM practitioners identified as senior leaders in England. Please feel free to add to the list;
- David Hermitt
- Diana Osagie
- Paul Mundy-Castle
- Patrick Cozier
- Matt Jones
- Jackie Ranger
- Alison Kriel
- Ava Sturridge-Packer
- Marva Rollins
- Allana Gay
- Adewoye Yomi
- Fumni Alder
- Ms K Campbell
Updated List (* BGM)
- Sonia Potter
- Nadine Bernard
- Monica Duncan
- Tina Haracksingh
- Sam Hoyer
- Increase Eko
- David Watson
- Dr Dayo Olukoshi
- Susan Service
- Nav Sanghara*
- Juliet Wright
- Dean Gordon
- Yana Morris
- Christine Raymont-Hall*
- Ken Johnson
- Umbar Sharif*
- Mitzi Nichol
- Paulette Osborne
- Nigel Oram
- Sonia Potter
- Qamar Riaz*
- Nadine Bernard
- Monica Duncan
- Tina Haracksingh
- Vijita Patel*
- Nicole Haynes
- Janet Sheriff
- Vijita Patel*
- Alison Moise-Dixon
- Shelly-Ann Goulbourne
- Leon Wilson
- Michael Barry
- Karen Giles
- Joanne L Herbert
- Devon Hanson
- Selwyn Calvin
- Hayden Abbott
- David Bromfield
- Nicholas Obie
- Paul Quinton
- Ken Morris
- Tonnie Read
- Joan Deslandes
- Pauline Osborne
- Catherine Ryan
- Martha Holder
- Paul Quinton
- Mohsen Oja
- Desmond Taylor
- Patricia Young
- Dean Gordon
- Heather Phillips
Dr Dayo Olukoshi
Joanne L Herbert
Paul Quinton
Tonnie Read
Selwyn Calvin
Hayden Abbott
David Bromfield
Nicholas Obie
Paul Quinton
Ken Morris
Check out this list. Impressive!!!
Devon Hanson
Dean Gordon
Heather Phillips
Desmond Taylor
Patricia Young
Paul Quinton
Does the list cover state and independent Headteachers? It’d be interesting to capture this data. Will you also disaggregate by gender? Great work.
Jane Stevens (retired July 2017)
Orlene Badu
Johnette Barrett (Founding Principal) Paxton Academy of Sports and Science. Currently in a battle with Croydon Council who have now rejected plans to build the school on a permanent site on London Road after previously accepting.
Ese Adeoye Perry Beeches-The Academy
Tesca Bennett
Michelle Anderson
Leena Pacquette
Ena Blair (Retired)
Pauline Abrahams
Sandra Govender at The Pinetree School, Thetford
Dr Tesca Bennett haberdashers knights academy london
Marlene Douglas HT
Gwyneth Gibson
Lea Manor Luton
Dr Paulette Osborne MBE, Ken Morris and Ava Sturridge-Packer CBE are no longer Head Teachers.
Sonia Thompson is a black HT in Birmingham.