A SINGLE mother from Kent who helped reverse the fortunes of her son's school has won a top national award.

Lesley Temple has been named the country's most outstanding governor in the Edexcel Achievement in Education Awards 2003.

The 42-year-old from Dunkirk, near Faversham, is a governor at The Abbey School where her eldest son, 14-year-old Michael, is a student.

She will be presented with the award at a celebrity-studded dinner in London on July 9. She also wins £1,000 for herself and £1,000 for the school.

"I am absolutely delighted, both personally and for the school," said Mrs Temple, who has two other children, 12-year-old Thomas, who is profoundly autistic, and nine-year-old Helen.

"It validates the work of ordinary people who are interested in education. It is important to get the message across that you don't have to be an expert in education to play a really effective role as a governor.

"I am not an education expert but I feel really passionate and motivated about improving children's education."

Mrs Temple became a governor at The Abbey in 1999. At the time the school had been criticised in an Ofsted report which placed it in a "serious weaknesses" category.

She was soon elected chairman of governors and, working with the staff and governors, set about revitalising the school.

Her successes included helping secure £750,000 for a dining hall and classrooms and developing practices which led to the best ever GCSE results over the last three years. In 2001 the school had a glowing Ofsted and was removed from the "serious weakness" category.

Mrs Temple stepped down as chairman when she started work as the school's family liaison officer, but she remains a governor.

Judges said she was obviously instrumental in helping the school emerge from its difficulties.

John Kerr, the chief executive of Edexcel, said: "Mrs Temple is a remarkable and talented governor who has made a real difference to her school."

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