Fulham Cross Head of School Wins Lifetime Achievement Award

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'One woman powerhouse' Denise Fox honoured at this year's Tes Schools Awards

Denise with Tes Schools Awards host Al Murray and Education Secretary Damian Hinds

These awards, which are celebrating their tenth year in 2018, recognise outstanding contributions made by education teams and individuals to help students around the country to succeed, both inside and outside the classroom.

Denise Fox has been described as a "one-woman powerhouse in education in Hammersmith and Fulham", but her education career got off to an inauspicious start.

A local girl who went to school in Fulham where she failed her O levels. Undaunted, she repeated fifth form and then applied for teacher training. During her course at Roehampton University, she was told that she wasn’t cut out for teaching and advised to "give it all up".

This lecturer hadn’t reckoned on her tenacity – Denise got on with learning her craft and started on a career in education that has spanned nearly 40 years.

Her first job was as a home economics teacher at Hurlingham and Chelsea School, but she quickly picked up extra duties in the form of shared responsibility for careers and running the fifth-year bridge course

She then moved to Fulham Cross Girls' School, where she has spent the remainder of her career. As head of personal development, sixth form and fourth and fifth year, she forged a relationship with the police schools’ liaison officer in Fulham.

Many of the students in Denise’s care are brought up in environments that experience a high level of crime, but she has always worked to educate them so that they understand the potential consequences of poor choices.

Working her way up to head of school at the school in Fulham's Munster Road, Denise has taken the school from strength the strength – it now sits in the top 2% of schools for progress.

The school's motto is "empowering tomorrow’s women"– something Denise embodies in everything she does.

Tes editor Ann Mroz said: "This was a record year for entries and the standard was exceptionally high. The shortlists were particularly strong so all those who have won an award should be very proud -- it’s an extraordinary achievement. We salute each and every one of them."

July 13, 2018