Yvonne Connoly (1939-2021)

Islington Tribune

Yvonne Connoly was born in Jamaica and came to England in 1963 as part of the Windrush generation. At 29 years old, she became Britain’s first black headteacher, positioned at Ring Cross Primary School in Holloway. Connoly received. a lot of racist abuse after her appointment, and even had to be accompanied by a bodyguard to her place of work.

“When I was appointed as headteacher, somebody threatened to burn the school down. I had newspaper articles which had announced my appointment, sent to me, crossing out my photograph with nasty comments. Happily, the parents were only interested in whether their children would get a good education and that certainly was my focus.”

After she left Ring Cross, Connoly examined schools across Islington and Camden, attempting to combat racism. In 2020 she was honoured for her services to education with the Honorary Fellow of Education award from the Naz Legacy Foundation. She was a resilient and inspirational force, leading the way for other black teachers, and encouraging black students that they could achieve anything they set their minds to.