His legacy will be felt for generations

North East educationist Ian Kershaw died last month at the age of 80. Here, we look at his long and influential career

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THE North East is mourning the loss of one of its most influential education leaders following the death of Ian 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 north 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.

Ian's career was shaped by a 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 headteacher 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.