Jackie Gent MBE
Jackie's Comments on New Year's Honour
I am overwhelmed to have received this honour. It was totally unexpected and I am humbled that the colleagues who nominated me felt that I deserved such a prestigious award. This is my 36th year at Bishop Barrington and I have seen it go from strength to strength in so many ways but particularly in our drive to secure the very best of life chances for our pupils.
I am proud that our pupils do well but also that we have such a lovely, happy school, with a strong family ethos . All of our staff are passionate about teaching, care and support. They feel blessed in their roles, particularly in terms of helping to shape pupils' future lives. The award also recognises our school's outstanding contribution to the community. In many ways, our school is a community hub, with its flourishing sports centre, our Elite Sports Academy, and our Bishop Auckland Youth Theatre.
We take a special pride in our community outreach work, for example in our annual hosting of our Senior Citizens Christmas Lunch, our young people's visits to Butterwick Hospice and our fundraising for a raft of national and international charities.
I am proud, too, that our school has been signposted by the Local Authority to support other schools over the years and I am delighted that I am thoroughly enjoying my current role as Chair of DASH (Durham Association of Secondary Head Teachers).
It is amazing that I have been awarded this honour, which I receive in recognition of the exceptional quality of our team of staff and governors. It is a testament to all of their hard work and that of our pupils, as well as paying tribute to the support of parents and carers.
Jx