LIVERPOOL’S longest serving head teacher will be admitted to the Roll of Citizen of Honour this evening (Wednesday, 14 December).
Dennis Hardiman MBE will take part in a ceremony at Liverpool Town Hall attended by Lady Mayoress Cllr Roz Gladden; Mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson; Frank Cogley, former Director of Education and Director of Schools and Colleges for the Archdiocese of Liverpool; and The Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside Mark Blundell.
The resolution will be read by the city’s current Director of Education Jonathan Jones and the Federation of St Cuthbert’s and St Sebastian’s choir will also perform.
Dennis was head teacher at both St Sebastian’s Catholic Primary School, Fairfield, and, for the last 14 years of his career, at St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School, Stoneycroft. He was a teacher for 47 years in total, and a head teacher for 37 of those, retiring in August 2020.
He led St Sebastian’s to four “outstanding” Ofsted reports and was also the head teacher for Mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson.
Dennis was born in New York in 1951, and grew up in Penarth with 11 siblings, before heading to university in Liverpool. His teaching career started in Liverpool at St Paschal Baylon Catholic Primary School, and in 1983 he became Liverpool’s youngest head teacher at St Sebastian’s at the age of 32.
Lady Mayoress Cllr Roz Gladden said: “The City of Liverpool honours Dennis with the Citizen of Honour Award in recognition of his enormous contribution to education in the city including his compassion, intuition, outstanding leadership and tireless efforts to improve the lives of young people in our city.
“Dennis was a much-loved head teacher who was respected by the children, staff, parents and local communities, and this honour is truly well deserved.”
