Paula dedicates MBE to pupils, staff and parents

TEACHING the pupils of Sperrinview Special School has been described as the “best job in the world” by the school’s principal.

Paula Jordan made the comment as she came to terms with her MBE for services to education, which was announced in last week’s Queen’s honours.

She also dedicated the prestigious accolade to the pupils, staff and parents of Sperrinview.

Speaking to WeAreTyrone this week, Paula revealed her shock when she learned of her award around five weeks ago.

“It was even stranger, as I opened the letter at around 2.15am in the morning. The letter had been sitting there and I thought it was from a politician looking for my vote. But when I went to open it, I could see it was quite official looking.

“And then I started to read it and I had to read it twice, maybe a few times to understand what I was reading. I couldn’t believe it and I couldn’t tell anyone either, as everyone was in bed at that hour of the morning.

“I was totally shocked, and I’m still shell shocked even now.”

Paula who lives in Laurencetown in Co Down, said she has seen significant changes and progress in education for children with special needs, since she started at Sperrinview.

“I have been the principal for the last 16 years, but I have been at Sperrinview for the last 25 years.

“The changes have been huge. When we started, there was 39 pupils and now at Sperrinview we have 146 pupils, which includes pupils at a satellite school in Cookstown,” said Paula.

“It has been great to see the success of the school and the impact it has on the young people’s lives and their families.

“We have seen a lot more pupils with autism in recent years – about 80 per-cent of our pupils have autism.

“And the complexity of needs has also greatly increased over the years since we started. But it is great to see how much progress there has been in the sector.”

Still unaware of who nominated her for the richly-deserved award, Paula said she wanted everyone associated with the school to share it.

“This (MBE) is not just about me. It’s about Sperrinview, it’s about all the pupils, the great staff and the wonderful parents we have here. Without all these people together, I couldn’t do my job,” she continued.

“We had such a tough time during Covid, but thankfully we came through it and to see the smiles on their faces when they returned was wonderful and it was very important for the parents too.

“Our school is completely cross community, from all faiths and none. These children are just a joy to teach, it’s the best job in the world for me. Yes, there may be some difficult days, but I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”