Stephen Munday CBE

Areas of Interest

Education

Honorary Award

Honorary Doctor of Education, 2009

Biography

Stephen Munday is the Executive Principal of Comberton Village College and Cambourne Village College in Cambridgeshire and the Chief Executive of the Comberton Academy Trust.

Since 2011, he has helped to transform Comberton, a mixed school which includes Comberton Sixth Form, into one of the most successful schools of its type in the East of England. The school has won accolades for languages, sport and the arts. Mr Munday is the driving force behind the growth of the school and of the Trust, leading his team to achieve the highest possible standards to help develop the positive potential of every pupil, regardless of ability and background.

He has overseen the opening of the free school Cambourne Village College, the first new secondary school in Cambridgeshire for 30 years, which opened for Year 7 pupils last September.

Educated in Canterbury, Kent, Mr Munday studied Economics at the University of Cambridge. He went on to qualify as a teacher attending the Institute of Education, London, where he also gained an MA in Economics Education.

Mr Munday is an active member of the Governing Body at Jeavons Wood Primary School, Cambourne, which is overseen by the Comberton Educational Trust. In February 2014 he became Executive Principal of The Voyager Academy in Peterborough, where he was previously chair of Governors. The Voyager has been part of the Comberton Academy Trust since 2011.

Mr Munday works in several advisory capacities for the Department for Education (DfE), including the Teaching Schools' Council and the Eastern Region Headteachers' Board, and is a National Leader of Education with the National College for Teaching and Learning (NCTL), and an Associate Head with the SSAT. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Anglia Ruskin University for his services to education and the community. He joined Ofsted as an inspector in January 2013 at which time he was also awarded a CBE in recognition of his services to Education.

Citation

"Vice Chancellor, it is my pleasure to read the citation for Stephen Munday for the award of Honorary Doctor of Education.

Stephen Munday is Principal of Comberton Village College in Cambridgeshire.

Since 2001, he has helped to transform the mixed school for 11-16 year olds into one of the most successful schools of its type in the East of England. The school has won accolades for languages, sport and the arts. It has just recently been awarded Spanish School of the Year 2009 by the Spanish Embassy and been presented with the European Award for Languages 2009. It is now well-known for its work in supporting other schools both locally and nationally.

Ambitious plans to develop a Sixth Form for the school are well underway with new specialist teaching and learning spaces set to be opened by 2011. A new and impressive building will be a part of this development which will house a 150 seat lecture theatre.

This will add to the extensive facilities already available at the school.

Stephen is the driving force behind this growth, leading his team to achieve the highest possible standards to help develop the positive potential of every pupil, regardless of ability and background.

His mantra is to teach every young person to be capable, confident and caring; preparing them, not only for examinations, but for life.

Educated in Canterbury, Kent, Stephen studied Economics at the University of Cambridge.

He went on to qualify as a teacher, attending the Institute of Education, London where he also gained an MA in Economics Education. Before joining Comberton Village College, he worked as Head of Economics at The Bishop's Stortford High School and Head of Sixth Form and Deputy Head at Saffron Walden County High School.

He works in several advisory capacities for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), including the Headteachers' Reference Group and the National Council for Educational Excellence, and is a National Leader in Education with the National College for School Leadership (NCSL), an Associate Head with the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT), a Governor of Jeavons Wood Primary School and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA).

For his all-encompassing, holistic approach to education; for encouraging individuals to bring out the very best in themselves; and for fuelling the desire of his students to succeed, we applaud him.

He is an exemplary educator of regional and national standing. Someone who makes things happen for the long-term enrichment of others.

For his overwhelming success at leading Comberton Village College and for his tireless services to education and to the community we would like to honour him today. Vice Chancellor, it is my pleasure to present Stephen Munday for the award of Doctor of Education, honoris causa."