Knighthood for Merseyside-born school head Paul Grant

 

A MERSEYSIDE-BORN teacher has been knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for his outstanding contribution to education.

As the oldest of seven, headteacher Paul Grant, a dad-of-three from Aintree, attributes his success to his strong family background and upbringing and is a believer in discipline.

The 52-year-old was knighted five weeks after his school, the Robert Clack school, in Dagenham, London, received an award for excellence in challenging circumstances.

Coming from a large Everton-supporting family, football fan Mr Grant thought his brothers and sisters were behind an elaborate hoax to convince him that he had received a 'knighthood'.

At a young age, he remembers thinking: "If I put my head down I could be a teacher." His brother, Brendan Grant, told the ECHO: "Our inspiration is from our mum and dad. They weren't afraid of discipline, and Paul is an inspiration

to us all."

Previously the head of humanities at the school, Mr Grant beat a field of deputy and existing headteachers to the job.

Mr Grant say he fondly remembers his days as a pupil at Salesian College, in Bootle, now known as Savio Salesian College, and some of the teaching staff including Tony Brookman, Mike Dickinson and Paul Smith who, he says

"instilled massive belief into me."

But Mr Grant, who admits to being a "massive fan of Merseyside" believes that Liverpool is where he got all his values from.

He said: "I've never forgotten where I'm from."