Pioneers is an Islam Channel documentary series which celebrates British Muslim Innovators.

This latest in the Pioneers series charts the journey and achievements of our Education Committee Chair, the hugely successful and influential Bushra Nasir CBE.

Biography: Bushra Nasir CBE 

Mrs Bushra Nasir was a secondary headteacher with 20 years’ experience at Plashet School in the London Borough of Newham before retiring in December 2012. She was the first Muslim female headteacher of a secondary school in the UK.

In 2003, she was awarded a CBE for her services to education and in 2005 won the ‘Asian Professional Woman of the Year’ award. She served on the General Teaching Council from 2000 to 2005 and was president of the Muslim Teachers’ Association for six years. In 2006, Mrs Nasir was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of East London for her services to education; in 2007 she received a Fellowship from Queen Mary College London.

While working in Newham, Mrs Nasir chaired Secondary Heads’ meetings and led a Leading Edge Partnership. She has also mentored ten newly appointed Head-teachers.

She has been trained and accredited as a mentor by the Institute of Education and has completed the Consultant Leaders Programme. She is an accredited School Improvement Partner (SIP) and has supported schools in Essex. She is currently on the Education Advisory Panel for Mosaic and is a coach for the NCSL BME headteacher internship programme. She is a Council member of Queen Mary University and the Chair of the Education Committee of the Migration Museum Project.

Mrs Nasir is co-author of a book called Breaking Stereotypes, which aims to provide positive role models for ethnic minority young people. In 2009, she was named in the top 10 list of Muslim women in the ‘Muslim Power’ list produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and published in The Times.

Mrs Nasir was awarded TES Headteacher of the Year in summer 2012.