It is with immense pride and pleasure that we announce that our esteemed Bridewell Royal Hospital colleague, Mr John Towers, Head, Barrow Hills School, has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to education in the King’s 2026 New Year Honours.
Education was a driving force in John’s young life, sparking a passion for accessible and transformative learning for all. Throughout his 30 year career, John has dedicated himself to the service of others, nurturing pupils and young educators through leadership and coaching and through his extensive charitable endeavours. As Director of Education for the ‘Reach to Teach’ charity, John spent four years building over 100 village schools in remote parts of rural India. He has served several terms as a trustee at the Royal Society of the Arts.
Since joining Barrow Hills, a School of the Bridewell Royal Hospital foundation, as Head in 2023, John has been instrumental in shaping the future direction and successes of the School and more widely within the foundation, creating the broadest opportunities for pupils at every educational stage. An advocate for inclusion and educational excellence, John drives academic, pastoral and co-curricular quality at Barrow Hills, and ensures technological distinction through our unique Bridewell AI system, future-proofing pupils’ education for a changing world, responsibly and ethically.
John’s dedication, vision, and selfless service truly embody the values we cherish within the Bridewell Royal Hospital foundation.
On his award, John reflected “I’m deeply grateful to receive an MBE, and share my sincere appreciation of working with so many dedicated colleagues across the state, independent, and international education development sectors. It’s great to celebrate this award with our wonderful team at Barrow Hills. Within Bridewell Royal Hospital, our charitable foundation of nearly 475 years, we are dedicated to the delivery of excellent outcomes with kindness and compassion. As in all the educational settings in which I’ve served, I want all our pupils to be inspired to do well and to do good.”
Please join us in congratulating John on this truly well deserved honour and remarkable achievement.
The official announcement appears in the London Gazette and national newspapers.
