The North East mourns one of its great educationists
Tributes paid to Ian Stewart Kershaw
The North East is mourning the loss of one of its most influential education leaders following the recent death of Ian Stewart Kershaw, a man whose six-decade career reshaped schools, strengthened communities and inspired a legion of practitioners across the country.
Born in Kent in 1945, Ian moved to Sunderland in 1965 to attend Sunderland College and has been rooted in Sunderland ever since, becoming a passionate advocate for the city’s future. He believed deeply in the potential of Sunderland’s young people, its economy and its communities and he championed the region wherever his work took him.
A leader who transformed schools
Ian’s career has been shaped by an extraordinary breadth of roles across the education landscape: from youth worker to secondary principal leading Sidney Stringer Community Technology College in Coventry for 11 years, from Head Teacher of a residential special school in County Durham to director of an Education Action Zone across East Durham from 2000 to 2005 and later as one of the most respected independent education consultants in England.
Wherever he served, his guiding principle remained constant: that education must open doors, raise aspirations and strengthen the fabric of local communities.
As Chief Executive of Northern Education Trust (NET), Ian led the organisation through a period of profound reform, re-establishing shared values, stabilising finances, strengthening teaching and leadership and laying the foundations for the trust’s later national success. His strategic clarity, moral courage and belief in the power of school improvement left a lasting and measurable mark.
Before that, his stewardship of Northern Education Associates demonstrated his deep sense of civic duty. He willingly put the needs of the most disadvantaged schools before organisational interest, decisions that informed the structures and values which would later support NET to become one of the country’s highest performing trusts.
Guiding and supporting the next generation of leaders
In more recent years, Ian continued to serve the region with characteristic purpose. From 2021 to 2022 he acted as interim chief executive of Northern Leaders Trust, providing stability during a period of significant transition and mentoring the current chief executive, Lee Kirtley. His wisdom, calm leadership and generosity of spirit were widely credited with strengthening the trust’s direction and confidence.
Ian also made a profound contribution as a governor of the University of Sunderland following his appointment in 2017. He served with distinction on both the Finance and Development Committee and the Academic Assurance Committee, bringing insight, experience and challenge in equal measure. He also represented the university on the Board of Sunderland Culture, reflecting his belief that education, arts and community should work hand in hand to enrich people’s lives.
National leadership amid a major UK education controversy
Ian’s integrity and reputation for principled leadership led to his appointment in 2014 by Birmingham City Council to lead the independent investigation into what became known as the Trojan Horse affair or Operation Trojan Horse.
The scandal began when a forged letter alleged a plot by hardline Muslim educators to infiltrate and Islamicise Birmingham schools. Although the letter was later proven to be fake, the allegations ignited a national media storm, multiple government inquiries and high-profile debate around extremism, multiculturalism, governance and religious freedom in the United Kingdom.
Ian was asked to cut through the noise at one of the most contentious moments in recent education history. His report provided a clear eyed and balanced assessment of governance and safeguarding arrangements across affected schools, leading to major reforms and new regulatory standards. Those who worked with him recall that he approached the task not with judgement or politics but with fairness, steadiness and an unwavering commitment to the welfare of young people.
A lifelong advocate for the vulnerable
Long before national attention came his way, Ian was already transforming lives through voluntary work. With close friends he founded the Fulwell Society for Mentally Handicapped Adults in the early 1970s, establishing the region’s first Gateway Centre and advocating nationally for the rights of intellectually disabled adults.
His campaign, “I am your countryman”, led to the first national survey of adults with intellectual disabilities cared for at home by their parents. These early achievements revealed not only his organisational talent but his compassion, humility and determination to give dignity and recognition to those who were too often overlooked.
Although not born in the region, Ian made Sunderland unequivocally his home and championed it with unshakeable pride. Friends and colleagues recall that he carried the city with him into every boardroom, every meeting and every national assignment. He believed profoundly in its potential and never stopped advocating for opportunity, prosperity and investment in the North East.
A legacy that will endure
Colleagues remember Ian not only as a strategist and reformer but as a mentor who was calm, wise, humorous and generous with his time. His influence is visible in the schools he strengthened, the leaders he shaped and the communities he helped uplift.
He taught many lessons but perhaps the one mentioned most is simple:
- Service matters
- Lead with integrity
- Treat people with dignity
- Believe that improvement is always possible
The North East has lost one of its great educationists. His legacy will be felt for generations.
Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, said: “Ian Stewart Kershaw was a towering figure in education. His unwavering belief in the potential of Sunderland’s young people and communities inspired countless educators and strengthened the region he loved so deeply.”
Ian Stewart Kershaw | 31 January 1945 – 16 November 2025