Pauline Perry, Baroness Perry of Southwark
Encyclopedia
Pauline Perry, Baroness Perry of Southwark (born Pauline Welch on 15 October 1931) is an educationalist, a Conservative
politician and a member of the British House of Lords
. She was Chief Inspector of Schools in England.
Perry was educated at Wolverhampton Girls' High School
and Girton College, Cambridge
. In 1952 she married Oxford University lecturer George Perry, and had three sons and a daughter (Christopher, Timothy, Simon and Hilary). She became a teacher and philosophy lecturer, working in England
, Canada
and the United States
.
In 1970, Perry joined HM Inspectorate at the Department of Education and Science, and was appointed Chief Inspector of Schools in 1981. In 1986 she became Vice-Chancellor of South Bank Polytechnic
, and serving during its transition to a university became the first woman in history to run a British university. She subsequently held other roles in higher education
, including pro-chancellor of the University of Surrey
and President of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge
.
She has also been active in the Southwark Cathedral
and Church of England
community and the City of London
. She was appointed chair of the review group examining the operation of the Crown Appointment Commission, the body which nominate Diocesan Bishops.
Perry was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 1991 and became a life peer
as The Right Honourable Baroness Perry of Southwark, of Charlbury in the County of Oxfordshire
the same year. She sits on the Conservative Party benches. She was a member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics
2003-2005 and chaired the Working Party on the Ethics of research involving animals (2003-2005) Chair, Commission on Secondary Reorganisation for the London Borough of Hammersmoith and Fulham, Chair, Commission on Academies and Free Schools in the London Borough of Wandsworth.
She was the co-chair of The Conservatives Public Services Commission which reported in 2007.
She was appointed a Conservative Party Whip in the Lords in January 2011.
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and a member of the British House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. She was Chief Inspector of Schools in England.
Perry was educated at Wolverhampton Girls' High School
Wolverhampton Girls' High School
Wolverhampton Girls' High School is a selective, single-sex school for girls at Wolverhampton in the West Midlands of England.-Overview:Wolverhampton Girls' High School, founded in 1911, educates girls from the age of 11 to 18. Its students are led by a headmistress along with a Board of Governors....
and Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College is one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. It was England's first residential women's college, established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon. The full college status was only received in 1948 and marked the official admittance of women to the...
. In 1952 she married Oxford University lecturer George Perry, and had three sons and a daughter (Christopher, Timothy, Simon and Hilary). She became a teacher and philosophy lecturer, working in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In 1970, Perry joined HM Inspectorate at the Department of Education and Science, and was appointed Chief Inspector of Schools in 1981. In 1986 she became Vice-Chancellor of South Bank Polytechnic
London South Bank University
London South Bank University is a university in south London. With over 25,000 students and 1,700 staff, it is based in the London Borough of Southwark, near the South Bank of the River Thames, from which it takes its name...
, and serving during its transition to a university became the first woman in history to run a British university. She subsequently held other roles in higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
, including pro-chancellor of the University of Surrey
University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
and President of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge
Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge
Lucy Cavendish College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is a women-only college, which admits only postgraduates and undergraduates aged 21 or over....
.
She has also been active in the Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London, lies on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge....
and Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
community and the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. She was appointed chair of the review group examining the operation of the Crown Appointment Commission, the body which nominate Diocesan Bishops.
Perry was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 1991 and became a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as The Right Honourable Baroness Perry of Southwark, of Charlbury in the County of Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
the same year. She sits on the Conservative Party benches. She was a member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Nuffield Council on Bioethics
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is a UK-based independent charitable body, which examines and reports on ethical issues raised by new advances in biological and medical research...
2003-2005 and chaired the Working Party on the Ethics of research involving animals (2003-2005) Chair, Commission on Secondary Reorganisation for the London Borough of Hammersmoith and Fulham, Chair, Commission on Academies and Free Schools in the London Borough of Wandsworth.
She was the co-chair of The Conservatives Public Services Commission which reported in 2007.
She was appointed a Conservative Party Whip in the Lords in January 2011.
Appointments
- President, Council for Independent Education (CIFE)CIFE – the Council for Independent EducationCIFE is a professional association of English independent sixth-form colleges. It provides support to its member institutions and advice about GCE Advanced Level and university entrance to anyone who asks for it. CIFE’s President is Baroness Perry of Southwark...
- President, Foundation for Higher Education
- President, Westminster & City Branch of Chartered Management Institute
- Chair of City & Guilds Quality and Standards Committee
- Governor of Gresham's SchoolGresham's SchoolGresham’s School is an independent coeducational boarding school in Holt in North Norfolk, England, a member of the HMC.The school was founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham as a free grammar school for forty boys, following King Henry VIII's dissolution of the Augustinian priory at Beeston Regis...
, Holt - Chair of Governors and Trustee of Roehampton Institute, University of SurreyUniversity of SurreyThe University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
- Pro-Chancellor and Member of Council, University of Surrey
- Trustee, Bacon's City Technology College
- Trustee, Cambridge University Foundation
- Trustee, Daphne Jackson Memorial Trust
- Companion of the Institute of Management
- Member of the Institute of DirectorsInstitute of DirectorsThe Institute of Directors is a UK-based organisation, established in 1903 and incorporated by royal charter in 1906 to support, represent and set standards for company directors...
- Member of the International Women's Forum
- Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of BakersWorshipful Company of BakersThe Worshipful Company of Bakers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Bakers' Guild is known to have existed in the twelfth century. From the Corporation of London, the Guild received the power to enforce regulations for baking, known as the Assize of Bread and Ale. The...
- Honorary Freeman of the Worshipful Company of FishmongersWorshipful Company of FishmongersThe Worshipful Company of Fishmongers is one of the 108 Livery Companies of the City of London, being a guild of the sellers of fish and seafood in the City...
- Political Editorial Advisor at i-MAGAZINE www.imagazine.gb.com