THERE'S just over a month to go until the South Wales Argus Schools & Education Awards 2021/22, held in association with Cardiff Metropolitan University, and we’re delighted to announce that the ceremony on April 7 will now be a live event.

In addition, we’re thrilled that our host for the evening will Baroness Wilcox of Newport, a woman renowned for her dedication to helping people to learn.

Known to many as Debbie Wilcox, the first woman leader of Newport City Council, her career in front line education stretched over 35 years.

Born in Tylorstown in the Rhondda, Lady Wilcox attended Porth County Grammar School for Girls before going on to study at the University of London and completing a Master of Arts (MA) at the University of Wales.

She taught in Brixton in South London, headed drama and media studies at Hartridge High School in Newport and then joined Hawthorn High School, Pontypridd, to lead the performing arts facility.

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Lady Wilcox was an external examiner for both the WJEC and AQA Examination Boards for over twenty five years and became Principal Examiner for A level Theatre Studies.

In 2004 she combined her public service role as a teacher with that of a local councillor after winning the Gaer Ward seat at Newport City Council, going on to be re-elected three times.

She became the chair of the Labour Group at the council and was then Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture in 2012, developing the not-for-profit company “Newport Live” that now runs sport and leisure activities in the city.

In 2014 Lady Wilcox took on the Education and Children’s Services portfolio, giving up her full time teaching post to give it her full attention.

She became the first woman leader of Newport City Council in 2016. A year later she was the first female leader of the Welsh Local Government Association and represented Wales as a member of the organisation’s executive in London.

Alongside these posts, Lady Wilcox served on the governing bodies of Gaer Primary School and The John Frost School in Newport for fifteen years. She was Chair of One Newport, the public services board and has formerly served two terms as a member of the Arts Council of Wales.

In 2018 she was invited to become a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts which is an award granted to individuals who the RSA judges to have made outstanding achievements to social progress and development.

In Theresa May’s Resignation Honours’ List 2019, Cllr Wilcox was elevated to the House of Lords as a Life Peer. She is now a full time working peer sitting on the Labour benches in the House of Lords.

In March 2020, Lady Wilcox was appointed as an Opposition Whip and joined the local government team in the Lords and in September 2020 she was appointed as Shadow Spokesperson for Women & Equalities as part of the Lords Front Bench team. In March 2021 she was appointed as Shadow Spokesperson for Wales and as the Education Whip in the Opposition Front Bench and currently holds both roles.

She has recently been appointed as a Commissioner to the Lifelong Education Commission, chaired by Chris Skidmore MP.

Editor of the South Wales Argus Gavin Thompson said he could think of nobody better qualified to host the Schools & Education Awards.

“Lady Wilcox has dedicated her life to education and spent many years working for the people of Newport,” he said. “We are delighted that she’s kindly agreed to be the host for this important event.”