A former Wigan headteacher was 'really surprised and delighted' to receive an OBE in the King's new year honours
A Wigan primary school’s first headteacher has been awarded an OBE for services to education.
Tim Sherriff took the helm at Westfield Community Primary School in Norley in 2005, following the amalgamation of Scot Lane Community Primary School and Pemberton Primary and Nursery School.
He successfully led the school for 17 years, before leaving at the end of the summer term in 2022 to become an education consultant.
The 65-year-old said it was a “complete surprise” to be named in King Charles III’s new year honours list.
Mr Sherriff said: “I was really surprised and delighted to receive the award. It was fantastic news for myself and the family.”
He paid tribute to his former colleagues at Westfield, along with his wife Carol and their family.
"It represents a lot of hard work from a lot of the people who I have worked with. I was fortunate to work with a very talented team at Westfield,” he said.
"I would like to pay tribute to my wife and my family, because without them none of this would have been possible.”
He does not know who nominated him for the OBE and is waiting to hear when he will receive the honour, which is usually presented in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle.
Mr Sherriff came from a family with a background in educational roles and began his career in 1982.
He spent three decades in Wigan schools and was a headteacher for 24 years, which included 17 years at Westfield.
Highlights of his time at Westfield included two “outstanding” Ofsted reports and the fact that they managed to maintain them, as well as two visits from education secretaries.
Mr Sherriff was named Headteacher of the Year in the North West in 2007.
Since leaving Westfield, he has done consultancy work to support schools across the country and is lead peer reviewer for Challenge Partners, a charity working to improve life chances for pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged.
Mr Sherriff, who lives in Aughton, Ormskirk, is vice-chairman of the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors, which was set up to improve standards in educational assessment.