Katrina Morley, who leads the Tees Valley Education Trust (TVEd), was awarded the honour for her services to education and the Tees Valley region in the King’s New Year Honours.
Ms Morley expressed her gratitude to her partner, Alper, her family, friends, and colleagues, as well as the many collaborators she has worked with throughout her career.Katrina Morley (Image: Tees Valley Education Trust)
She said: “My OBE recognises the efforts of so many—not just within education but also in the communities we serve.
“It’s about lifelong opportunities for families, businesses and the region as a whole.”
Middlesbrough-born, Ms Morley began her career in chemical engineering, working at ICI and BASF after graduating from Teesside University.
Her experiences with schools and careers groups inspired a career change into education, and she completed a PGCE at Sunderland University and a master’s degree in pedagogy and curriculum design.Katrina Morley celebrates with pupils (Image: Tees Valley Education Trust)
She has since spent 26 years in teaching and educational leadership across the Redcar and Middlesbrough areas.
For the past eight years, Ms Morley has served as CEO of Tees Valley Education Trust, which comprises the Brambles, Dormanstown, Pennyman, and Wilton primary academies and Discovery Special Academy.
One of her ‘notable achievements’ is leading the circa £17 million project to create Discovery Special Academy, a school for more than 150 children, aged three to 16, with a range of complex needs.
The all-through specialist facility in Middlesbrough was the result of collaborations with the Department for Education, Middlesbrough Council, and a range of firms to design, construct, and deliver two bespoke buildings.
Ms Morley is also a strong advocate for the creative industries and has inspired pupils to perform at venues such as the Sage Gateshead and London’s Royal Festival Hall.
Speaking about the honour, Ms Morley said: “I thought it was a wind-up. Even now, I’m not sure it’s sunk in.
“There are so many of us who work so hard for children, young people and our communities, so I am genuinely stunned.”
Ms Morley serves on the national primary advisory board for SSAT, focusing on social justice and teacher development programmes, and is a member of the Headteachers’ Roundtable, a think tank for school leaders.
She is also a director of the Power of Women campaign, an associate of Teesside University, and a member of the Tees Valley Business Board.