Ken Gibson (headteacher)

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Sir Ken Gibson
NationalityBritish
Occupation(s)Headteacher, Teacher
Years active1979–present
Known forHeadteacher of Harton Academy, Jarrow School, Academy 360
Children4
Honours Knighthood (2013), Honorary Doctorate from University of Sunderland (2016)

Sir Kenneth Gibson is a British former headteacher and former secondary school teacher.

Contents

Background

Gibson attended East Boldon Infants School in South Tyneside, where he was taught by his mother, Helen, who was also a teacher. [1]

Career

Gibson began teaching in Kirkby in 1979 and moved to Harton Academy in 1983, where he became headteacher of the school in 2003. [2] Under his headship, the school received an OFSTED rating of Outstanding in 2006. The school was also rated Outstanding in its subsequent OFSTED inspection in 2013. [3]

In 2009, Gibson spoke of his pride at having Joe McElderry as an ex-pupil of his school, after McElderry went through to the last four of the X Factor. [4]

In November 2010, [5] Gibson became head of Jarrow School in addition to Harton Academy; he went on to successfully turn Jarrow School around, after the school's teaching was rated as inadequate. [6] The improvement of Jarrow School took place partly because Jarrow School formed a partnership with Harton Academy as part of a national scheme. [7] In 2012, he also became the head of Academy 360, another school, in Pennywell, after an OFSTED inspection report of the school was published. [6]

In 2021, he moved to Executive Headteacher of the broader multi-academy trust of which Harton Academy was a part. [2] In 2022, he lodged a formal complaint with OFSTED, saying that the inspection body's inspection of Harton Academy had a problem in the inspection process. [8]

As of 2019, Gibson was Vice Chair of Education at Education Mutual, [9] a provider of Staff Absence Protection for multi-academy trusts and schools. [10]

Honours

In 2013, Gibson received a knighthood for his work in education; [5] he was the first person to have been knighted by the then Duke of Cambridge, Prince William. [11]

In 2016, Gibson received an honorary doctorate from the University of Sunderland for his services to education, partly because he had recently considerably improved two secondary schools. [12]

Personal life

Sir Ken is married to Lady Lisa Gibson and has four children, Michael, Claire, Olivia & Luisa, plus two grandchildren, Rose and Saylor. [6]

References

  1. ↑ Sunderland, University. "'Super-head' honoured for his services to education". University of Sunderland Alumni. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Harton Academy | Important Update from Sir Ken Gibson". harton-tc.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  3. ↑ enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk, Ofsted Communications Team (2024-01-04). "Find an inspection report and registered childcare". reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  4. ↑ "South Shields backs X Factor Joe". 2009-11-26. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  5. 1 2 "Head teachers recognised in honours". BBC News. 2013-06-14. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  6. 1 2 3 https://www.pressreader.com/uk/sunderland-echo/20131018/281590943297386?srsltid=AfmBOoqcDA4a1g2cinc8S1i2Qn_NISZhqZ6uLPhLgjaXFmMM29YkZTBg . Retrieved 2025-08-23– via PressReader.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ↑ Weatherall, Nicola (2013-02-26). "Jarrow School improves after Ofsted report". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  8. ↑ "Headteacher lodges formal complaint with Ofsted and questions inspection process after 'unfair' judgement". Shields Gazette. 2022-06-20. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  9. ↑ Mutual, Education (21 October 2019). "(1) Education Mutual on X: "Vice Chair of Education Mutual..." X. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  10. ↑ Mutual, Education. "(1) Education Mutual (@EducationMutual) / X". X. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  11. ↑ Davies, Caroline (2013-10-17). "Prince William makes debut standing in for Queen to give out knighthoods". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  12. ↑ "Super-head receives university honour for his services". Shields Gazette. 2016-07-06. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
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