Yvonne Weatherhead awarded MBE

Yvonne Weatherhead MBE

Former headteacher Yvonne Weatherhead has been awarded an MBE for services to education in this year’s New Year’s Honours List.

Yvonne, who lives in Littleborough, said: “I am absolutely thrilled. It is such a great accolade.

"I have been very lucky to have worked with many excellent professionals throughout my career. The children have been a joy and I have loved being involved in helping develop their creativity, enthusiasm and achievements.

“I have always tried to weave a little magic into children’s lives and now I am able to have the pleasure of being involved with my own wonderful grandchildren, so the magic continues.

"I remain involved in education by designing and delivering bespoke training programmes for teachers and also in writing my own books for children.”

Yvonne was the headteacher of Marland Hill Primary School from 1990 to 2014 and under her leadership the school was judged as outstanding by OFSTED following inspections in 2008 and 2013. Marland Hill also achieved the National Gold ‘Arts Mark Award’ for the second time in 2012.

Prior to her becoming the headteacher of Marland Hill, Yvonne worked as a teacher at Matthew Moss Middle School and Heybrook Primary School. She became a local leader of education in 2009 and in this role provided support for school improvement in primary schools across Rochdale and Bolton.

In 2007 Yvonne, along with her husband Rod, established Weatherhead Projects Ltd, a school improvement consultancy.

Yvonne now provides school improvement support and professional development programmes to schools across Greater Manchester.

She has also written several educational books relating to community cohesion and behaviour management and is the author of a series of children’s story books about a puppy sheep dog called Starfly.