A Haberdasher who has dedicated her life to working in education, including her role as Principal at two Haberdashers’ schools, has received the highest award at the Tes Schools Awards, one of the biggest nights in the UK education calendar which was held last month in London.
Dr Elizabeth Sidwell CBE, received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award 2023’.
The Tes Schools Awards is which is in its 15th year, celebrates the extraordinary commitment, quality and innovation shown by teachers and support staff across the UK.
With a career in education spanning more than 40 years, Liz remains dedicated to driving change in the education system on a local and national level.
She has been a wonderful principal and CEO with more than 30 years’ experience of transforming state and independent schools in the UK and internationally, including her role as Principal at both Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College and Haberdashers’ Aske’s Girls’ School.
She is also an experienced board member and trustee for several schools and influential bodies. As National Schools’ Commissioner for England she was responsible for raising standards, tackling underperformance and championing the growth of academies, helping to forge today’s diverse education landscape.
Liz continues to apply her enormous experience and knowledge in education’s frontline, joining Beacon Multi-Academy Trust in 2015 as a trustee and taking over as chair in 2018 during a time of leadership change and financial deficit, steering the trust towards the strong academic and financial position it’s in today.
Widely recognised as a leading educationalist, Liz is a Freeman of the City of London, Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers and was awarded the CBE in the 2009 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to local and national education.
Judge Samantha Twistleton said: “Liz’s contribution to education over a lifetime is amazing. The sheer variety of high-impact projects she has delivered, and the number of commitments, makes her so worthy of this award.”
Elizabeth Sidwell said of her win: “This award was totally unexpected, and it means an awful lot. You get to this stage in your career, and you hope that you can still make an impact. It’s about the young people – it’s always been about the young people – I’m so proud of them all.”
Tes editor and chief judge of the Tes Schools Awards Jon Severs said: “With these awards we honour the education community, who we’ve served for nearly 113 years. This year has seen some incredibly high-quality entries.
“These awards showcase just how vital our education professionals are to every facet of this country. Teachers, leaders and support staff all play such an important role in schools: this is our chance to say thank you for all that they do.”
Education
