Head teachers honoured by Queen

Maurice Smith is made Companion, Order of the Bath

Two head teachers and a university vice-chancellor have received top honours from the Queen.

Keith Ajegbo, of Deptford Green School in Lewisham, London, is knighted, and Yasmin Bevan, head of Denbigh High School in Luton, is made a dame.

Kingston University vice-chancellor Professor George Scott is knighted for services to higher education.

Ex-Chief Inspector of Schools Maurice Smith is made Companion, Order of the Bath in the New Year Honours list.

Government education official Peter Wanless receives the same award.

He is the director of school performance and reform for the Department for Education and Skills.

British culture

Mr Smith, who was head of England's schools watchdog, Ofsted, from January to October 2006 has recently been replaced by Christine Gilbert.

South-east London head teacher Sir Keith sits on the government's External Advisory Group, which makes recommendations for the education of 14 to 19-year-olds.

He has been undertaking a six-month review of whether teaching pupils about British cultural and social history should become a compulsory part of schooling for all 11 to 16-year-olds, at the request of Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell.

Meanwhile, Professor Scott, known as Peter, has been vice-chancellor at Kingston since January 1998.

Before this, he was professor of education and pro vice-chancellor for external affairs at the University of Leeds.

Frontline

A clerical assistant and a teaching assistant are also among those on the education frontline to be recognised in the New Year Honours list.

Susan Wade, a teaching assistant at Hethersett High in Norfolk, and Norma Maclellan, clerk at Caol Primary, Fort William, are both appointed MBEs.

They are honoured alongside many heads and teachers, as well as school bursar Wendy Deakin from Middlewich, Cheshire.