Star Academies Chief Executive, Mufti Hamid Patel, has been awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in recognition of his outstanding services to education.
Mufti Hamid Patel has led Star Academies since its inception in 2010, which has a goal of raising the aspirations and improving the life chances of young people from the most disadvantaged communities.
For a number of years, Star Academies has consistently been one of the highest-performing multi-academy trusts in England with some of the country’s top-performing schools.
In the government’s most recent performance tables (2019), Star schools secured first, second and third places in the national rankings, with five schools in total in the top 15.
Mufti Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies, said: “This is a tribute for all those who have worked so hard at Star Academies whose care, diligence and passion continue to inspire young people and nurture tomorrow’s leaders. All those involved with our schools at every level – our talented teachers, and our supportive parents, governors and wider community – have made a telling contribution to the positive impact we have had on the lives of so many children and young people.
“The last 16 months have arguably been the hardest that any of us working in education have experienced but we, like those across the sector, have continued to put our pupils first, prioritising their wellbeing and giving them the best academic, extra-curricular and social opportunities.”
Kam Kothia DL, Chair of Star Academies, said: “On behalf of the Star family, we are extremely proud of Mufti Hamid Patel and congratulate him on his well-deserved knighthood. This prestigious honour is testimony to his dedicated leadership, selfless service and unfailing commitment to improving outcomes for our young people across the country. It is also an affirmation of the excellent work that is continually undertaken across Star schools nationally and within the central team.
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“We know that this recognition does not signal the completion of Star’s work. It will redouble our mission to nurture today’s young people and inspire tomorrow’s leaders.”
The Queen’s Birthday Honours List recognises people who have committed themselves to serving and helping Britain, and who have made achievements in public life.
The 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours award winners of Muslim background include:
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Rimla AKHTAR MBE, Co-founder, Muslim Women in Sport Network, For services to Equality and Diversity in Sport, (London, Greater London)
Fadi EL-ITANI, Chief Executive Officer, Muslim Charities Forum. For services to Charity and Interfaith Relations during Covid-19 (London, Greater London)
Javed Akhter KHAN, Chief Executive Officer, Barnado’s. For services to Young People and to Education (Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire)
Adnan KHAN, Team Leader, Ministry of Defence. For services to Defence (London, Greater London)
Syed Naeem Pasha SHAH, Head of Engagement, People, Places and Communities Division, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. For services to Faith Communities (Stretford, Greater Manchester)
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Nahim AHMED, For services to Young People from Disadvantaged Backgrounds in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (London, Greater London)
Arif Mohiuddin AHMED, Reader, Cambridge University. For services to Education (Cambridge, Cambridgeshire)
Afaf Abdrabou ALY, Chair, Egyptian Society of Northern Ireland. For services to UK-Egypt Relations and Anti-racism in Northern Ireland (Lisburn, County Antrim)
Abdul Raffey FARUQI, Lately Senior Research Scientist, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. For services to Medical Research (Cambridge, Cambridgeshire)
Asad Mahmood FAZIL, Chief Executive Officer, Al-Hurraya, Nottingham. For services to Education (Nottingham, Nottinghamshire)
Professor Azra Catherine Hilary GHANI, Professor, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London. For services to Infectious Disease Control and Epidemiological Research (Reading, Berkshire)
Dr Abdul HAFEEZ, Founder and Chief Executive, Association of Pakistani Physicians and Surgeons of the United Kingdom. For services to the NHS particularly during Covid-19 (Warburton, Greater Manchester)
Aida HAUGHTON, Housing Support Administrator, YMCA North Staffordshire. For services to Remembering Srebrenica (Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire)
Zillur HUSSAIN, Owner, Tavan Restaurant. For services to the community in Peterborough during the Covid-19 Pandemic (Peterborough, Cambridgeshire)
Dilwar HUSSAIN, For services to Interfaith and Social Cohesion (Leicester, Leicestershire)
Nahim KHAN, Team Member, Leadership and Shared Capability, Digital Group. For services to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Staff in the Department for Work and Pensions (London, Greater London)
Fahima KHANOM, Halifax Check Challenge Appeal, Hub Manager, Valuation Office Agency. For services to Customers during Covid-19 (Halifax, West Yorkshire)
Sofia MAHMOOD, Director, Empowering Minds, Bradford. For services to Education (Bradford, West Yorkshire)
Meera NARAN, Campaigner, Road Safety on Smart Motorways. For services to Road Safety (Leicester, Leicestershire)
Rowhi Mahmood NEMER, Owner, CamCab. For services to Frontline NHS Workers and the community during the Covid-19 Pandemic (Cambridge, Cambridgeshire)
Zahir PATEL, Case Progression Officer, Operational Delivery, Crown Prosecution Service. For services to Law and Order (London, Greater London)
Muna Mohamed Rashid YASSIN, Managing Director, Fair Finance. For charitable Financial Services to Disadvantaged People during Covid-19 (London, Greater London)
Medal of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
Atif ALI, For services to the community in Birmingham during Covid-19 (Birmingham, West Midlands)
Saiqa ALI, Founder and Chair, Southern Women’s Aid Network. For services to the community in South London particularly during Covid-19 (London, Greater London)
Syed Masum ALI, Lately Case Handler, Co-Operative Bank. For services to Financial Services and the community in Greater Manchester during the Covid-19 Pandemic (Oldham, Greater Manchester)
Yousif Mohammed ELTOM, Leader, Muslim Scout Fellowship Unit Manager, The Scout Association. For services to Scouting and Young People (Birmingham, West Midlands)
Wazid HASSAN, For services to the community in the London Borough of Redbridge during Covid-19 (London, Greater London)
Abrar HUSSAIN, For services to the community in Halifax, West Yorkshire during Covid-19 (Halifax, West Yorkshire)
Mohammed IMRAN, For services to the community in Bradford, West Yorkshire (Bradford, West Yorkshire)
Humayun ISLAM, For services to the community in Bradford, West Yorkshire (Bradford, West Yorkshire)
Bashir KARA, For services to Tennis (Southampton, Hampshire)
Raj Wali KHAN, For services to the community in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire (Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire)
Mahtab MOROVAT, For services to Charity in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear (Sunderland, Tyne and Wear)
Qamar NAWAZ, Frontline Food Retail Worker, The Cooperative Group. For services to the Food Supply Chain (Stockport, Greater Manchester)
Idris PATEL, Chief Executive Officer, Supporting Humanity. For services to the community in Ilford, London Borough of Redbridge during Covid-19 (London, Greater London)
Mohammad Jamil RADHA, Healthcare Assistant, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust. For services to the NHS during Covid-19 (Epsom, Surrey)
Mohammed SAEED, Vice Chairman, Community First, Peterborough. For services to the community in Peterborough (Peterborough, Cambridgeshire)
Tarek Fared Moustafa THOMA, Owner, The Oven Restaurant. For services to the community in Middlesbrough and Key Workers during the Covid-19 Pandemic (Darlington, County Durham)
Reha Begum ULLAH, Trustee, Muslimah Sports Association. For services to Sport (London, Greater London)
Queen’s Police Medal
Mohammad Wasim CHAUDHRY, Chief Superintendent, Greater Manchester Police.
