Member Article

Education body CEO awarded OBE after 25 years’ work in education

The King has awarded an OBE in his inaugural Birthday Honours to the Derby-based chief executive of a national organisation supporting further education for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Clare Howard’s award, announced this weekend, follows over 25 years’ service in the public, private and voluntary sectors. Since 2016, Howard has been at the helm of Natspec, which represents specialist further education colleges across England and Wales.

During this time, Howard has overseen significant membership growth from 75 to 122 colleges. She has also expanded Natspec’s team from just one, part-time member to ten people.

“I am speechless and a bit stunned about receiving the honour,” Howard said. “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,” she said.

“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.

“If anything can come from this award, I hope I can use it to raise awareness of the needs of specialist colleges who are crying out for fair funding for their estates so they can support some of society’s most vulnerable young people to thrive.”

**OBE will invigorate specialist colleges’ campaign for better funding **

Natspec is hoping Howard’s OBE, for services to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, will help turn the media spotlight on to their campaign for fair capital funding between specialist schools and FE colleges.

Problems with how government money is allocated has meant funding earmarked for specialist colleges is not reaching them or their students. According to Natspec, many specialist colleges are contending with leaky roofs, broken boilers and inadequate teaching spaces.

Research by SEND publication Special Needs Jungle has found that less than one per cent of recent funding for SEND schools and colleges, to repair and invest in buildings has gone to the FE level – with no specific investment since 2013-15.

A 2021 poll of specialist colleges by Natspec revealed that over half (53 per cent) of college buildings need repair, either urgently (18 per cent) or within the next two years (35 per cent). Just four per cent reported not needing repairs within 10 years.

**Howard has supported over 200 projects helping young people **

Clare Howard previously worked at the Association of Colleges for six years but her career has also included roles with local authorities, funding agencies, schools, and colleges.

David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges that represents mainstream FE institutions, said about the honours list: “Further education is a sector of passionate, committed, and hardworking people who change lives, and build communities day in and day out. It is great to see so many leaders and staff celebrated in the King’s Honours List.

“I’d like to say a personal congratulations to Clare Howard, a tireless champion for those with complex learning needs.”

During the 2000s, Howard worked on more than 200 projects with interim posts across the education, sport, and health sectors. Here she developed a “passion” for further education and a particular interest in services and education for people with learning difficulties and disabilities.

More recently, Howard led Natspec’s response during the Covid pandemic. This included setting up a Home Learning website, running online sessions, and working to improve Department for Education guidance and sending daily emails to colleges to help them support their vulnerable learners. This was while she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Eleanor Thomas .