The CBE recognises Professor Whalley’s services to education – as well as founding the Elliot Foundation, she works with various educational charities including SHINE and City Year and founded the education business Babcock International.

Caroline’s work at University of Bedfordshire is helping to develop the Mapping Educational Specialist knowHow initiative – MESH, bringing educators from 132 countries together. MESH uses resources already in the education system to generate, quality assure and update evidence-based summaries written specifically for educators.

Launched in April, it is spearheaded by Marilyn Leask, Research Professor in Educational Knowledge Management at Bedfordshire, and is focused on the issues of learning and teaching, as opposed to the improving of new curricula or structures of schooling.

The daughter of a Chesterfield coal-miner, Caroline spent part of her childhood in care following the death of her parents and then dropped out of school in her early teens. On moving to London she attended evening classes which ignited a lifelong passion for making learning inclusive.

Caroline earned her degrees and doctorate through the Open University whilst bringing up a young family and rising through the ranks of the teaching profession to become Executive Director at the London Borough of Ealing.

Professor Whalley said: “I am personally delighted by the honour but also happy that it recognises the phenomenal achievement of many other educators, pupils and teachers.

“It is equally a major pat on the back for my husband and family.”

Bill Rammell Vice Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire added: “Professor Whalley’s story is a remarkable one. Her passion to widen accessibility to higher education mirrors ours as a university.

“Her work at the University will help to give all educators open access to the most effective literacy teaching advice, based on research, available anywhere in the world.

“It is fantastic news that all of her hard work has been recognised in such a way and we are delighted for her.”

Elliot Foundation Chief Executive, Hugh Greenway said, “We are over the moon that Caroline’s selfless commitment to helping build a genuinely school-led system has been validated.

“Caroline’s unique gift is to find the positive in any situation thereby creating opportunities for growth and development. The success of the Elliot Foundation is a testament to what happens when you treat schools and teachers the way we would like them to treat our children.”