10 June 2026
Honorary Fellowship Recognises Dr. Vanessa Ogden’s Three Decades of Educational Leadership
On 10 June, Dr Vanessa Ogden CBE, Regional Director for London at the Department for Education, was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the University of Sunderland in London.
She received the award at the university’s graduation ceremonies held at Southwark Cathedral, in recognition of her 30-year commitment to raising educational standards.
Vanessa is a nationally recognised educational leader. She served for a decade as headteacher of Mulberry School for Girls in Tower Hamlets, East London. Under her leadership, the school became a ‘beacon of education’, championing inclusivity and nurturing community.
In 2016 she became the CEO of the Mulberry Trust, leading a family of schools that grew to fourteen by 2026. There, she focused on widening access to excellent education across East London, and latterly in East Sussex.
In her current role, Vanessa has continued her work to create opportunities and drive social cohesion.
Vanessa studied Theology at the University of Manchester, and later, a PGCE in at UCL Institute of Education, which proved transformative. She describes it as “a moment when I woke up into this world of imagination, colour, and energy. The start of a career supporting young people to blaze trails.”
Her contributions have been widely recognised, including the award of a CBE for services to education in 2024, as well as the BELMAS prize for her doctoral thesis on educational policy.
Her many achievements also include Mulberry School being selected as the host for the launch of Michelle Obama’s Let Girls Learn initiative in 2015, an event that continues to inspire pupils at the school to this day.
Throughout her career, Vanessa has remained steadfast in her belief that education empowers young people to grow with confidence, independence, and ambition.
On receiving her Honorary Fellowship, Vanessa said, “I feel deeply grateful for this recognition. The university is a beacon of outstanding practice in providing the opportunity for higher education.”
The University of Sunderland in London offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses on a range of subjects, including Business, Tourism, Nursing and MBAs.