Natspec is delighted to announce that our CEO, Clare Howard, has been awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
Clare joined Natspec in January 2016, following many years of experience working in public, private and voluntary sectors, working across further education and national disability organisations. In her tenure leading Natspec, the organisation has grown its membership base and the support it gives to members.
Receiving the honour, Clare said:
“I am speechless and a bit stunned about receiving the honour. The only way I can understand it is to see it as recognition for all those thousands of dedicated people who work in specialist colleges or with students with SEND across the FE sector.
FE is often forgotten within education as a whole; and specialist FE is sometimes the forgotten part of FE, so it is wonderful to receive this on behalf of all those people who work so hard every day to support students with complex needs.
This also wouldn’t have happened without all the people at work and home that have supported me; the credit and my thanks go to my colleagues in the Natspec team, my board, students and staff of every college, and my family.”
Congratulations, Clare, from everyone here at Natspec.
