Distinguished friends

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I am honoured to be involved in MMP, as I am passionate about celebrating the contribution of the different migrant communities to British society. I chair the education committee which aims to involve teachers and educationalists in ensuring that the MMP is a beacon of excellence for all, especially children.

Bushra Nasir

Bushra Nasir CBE 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, Bushra 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.

Plashet is now a high-achieving school with GCSE results above national average; the 2012 GCSE results were the highest achieved by the school at 74 per cent ‘5 good passes including English and Maths’, compared with 28 per cent in 1993. The school was ‘outstanding’ in its Ofsted inspection in March 2005 and March 2008. It was featured in a national report produced by Ofsted entitled ‘12 Outstanding Schools – excelling against the odds’.

Bushra 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 (a Prince’s Trust charity), a coach for the NCSL BME headteacher internship programme, a Council member of Queen Mary University and Chair of the Education Committee of the Migration Project.

Bushra has spoken at a wide range of conferences and events related to educational issues for parents, head-teachers and educationalists. She is co-author of a book called Breaking Stereotypes. 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. Bushra was awarded TES Headteacher of the Year in summer 2012.