THE KING’s New Year Honours List 2024 has been revealed and an educational leader from Wem has received an MBE for his unwavering dedication to teach by example.

Michael Cladingbowl, 65, is a nationally recognised educator who has a background in school improvement who has been a senior leader in education for over 25 years.

Now he has been revealed as a recipient of the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), which is given to people to recognise their outstanding achievement or service to the community.

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Mr Cladingbowl said: “I received a letter a number of weeks ago letting me know.

“I was very pleased to accept the award – not so much in recognition of anything that I have done but more on behalf of my fabulous colleagues.

“I think although honours like these are given to individuals, they really represent the commitment, hard work and achievement of lots of people.

“I have been lucky enough to work with a number of local educational trusts that run the schools as well as doing my day job.”

Mr Cladingbowl began his educational career in 1987, teaching English, and was headteacher of a successful school in Cheshire for six years before being appointed as one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors in 2002.

As a Regional Director for the North of England, he led over 400 staff and a much larger field force of HMI and other inspectors with annual budgets of over £40 million.

Mr Cladingbowl was the National Director of Schools until leaving Ofsted in 2015.

He also worked as a trustee with the Fields Multi Academy Trust, which managed three small schools, in Prees, Wixhal and Clive, and Empower Multi Academy Trust, which has a number of primary schools in North Shropshire, including St Peter’s Primary School in Wem where both of his children went to school

Mr Cladingbowl explained he had a lot of wonderful experiences at the schools across the country, but one thing he has been proud of was, when he was Regional Director, changing inspections so that teachers didn’t receive grades for their lessons and introducing shorter inspections for overall ‘good’ schools.

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He added: “At the heart of what I tried to do has always been the belief that if teachers and support staff flourish, so will the children.”

The MBE recipient will received his award at a ceremony in the New Year.

“I expect I’ll be persuaded to take my wife”, he added, “I am thrilled to attend the event either at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle.”