Inner city school head made dame

Released 03/01/2012

Headteacher of an inner city London primary school has been made a dame in the New Year honours list by the queen for to her services to education

Sylvia Morris has now retired after 40 years working within the education sector

Head teacher of the primary Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary Overy in Southwark, London, has been made a dame for her 40 years’ service in education.

Dame Sylvia, 60, who retired after 40 years in education before Christmas, has stated that she is delighted with the recognition for her work.

"I've clearly had an effect on children over many years,” she said. “But I thought I was doing an ordinary job but I am really thrilled that people have recognised the work that I have done."

"It's hugely diverse,” she added, talking about her school. “Seventy per cent of our intake is from minority ethnic groups. It has all the hallmarks of inner city life.

"The school is over 300 years old and was originally set up for the education of the poor of the parish and it still maintains that ethos today."

Dame Sylvia Morris saw the struggling St Saviour and St Mary Overy primary school, improve from failure to a success in just five years.

Morris said that the school was a “shambles” when she started working there in 1994. "Teaching standards were extremely low and morale was low,” she said. “The building was a tip. Within five years we had got it to the outstanding rating and we have sustained that to this day.”

Also recognised is former dinner lady Jeanette Orrey, who tipped off TV chef Jamie Oliver about the poor state of food in her school. She was made an MBE for her services to food in schools.

Orrey's campaigning for better school meals started eleven years ago when she was working as a dinner lady at a school in Birmingham and she and the school leader decided to cook their own food, based on organic, locally produced quality ingredients.

Commenting on her award, Orrey stated: "I feel very proud and privileged and also feel that as an ex-school cook, this is for all the catering staff and local authorities who have worked so hard to meet all the standards.”

Orrey now works as a school meals policy adviser for the Food for Life Partnership.

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