Dear colleagues,

Welcome to the first Heads Up of the year and so I wish you a Happy New Year and hope you got to enjoy the holiday period.

We appreciate all the preparation and planning that has gone into the start of this term. We know that this is a challenging time, for staff and pupils and that many will experience periods of absence due to the fast spreading Omicron strain of the virus. This is true for the council services as well. We will continue to offer support and guidance, alongside the national guidance and information and keep Warwickshire's information updated on our website.

I would like to take the opportunity to recognise the extraordinary achievement of Abeda Vorajee, who was awarded with an MBE for services to Community Integration and Interfaith Understanding in Warwickshire in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.

Abeda has served the community in so many ways, with just a few examples including as a full-time language teacher and as a governor at two Warwickshire schools. She is a long-standing and active member of the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) where she represents the local Islamic community and is also a trustee of the Warwickshire Race Equality Partnership. Congratulations to Abeda and to all those recognised in this year's Honour's List in Warwickshire. You can read a full list of Warwickshire residents who received awards here. 

Best wishes and thanks

Chris