A Finsbury man who failed his 11-plus and never thought of himself as an academic, has been awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to education.

Sir Frank McLoughlin has been principal of City and Islington College, known as Candi, for 13 years. He came from humble beginnings, growing up in a large Irish family, his father a builder and mother a nurse. After failing his 11-plus, Sir Frank went to a secondary modern school in Harlesden, Brent, where he grew up, before studying for his A-levels at evening classes and gaining a place at Leeds University.

After working part-time at various colleges around London, he landed a teaching job in 1981 at what was then the North London FE college, which later became Candi after merging with a number of other organisations.

• Keywords
  EDUCATION, KNIGHTHOODS, TEACHING
• Geographical keyword
  ISLINGTON (LONDON BOROUGH)
• Persons keyword
  Frank McLoughlin, Sir, City and Islington College, Helena Kennedy Foundation