Jan Eccleston feels “very privileged” to serve the Mount Druitt community as the principal of Halinda School, a School for Specific Purposes (SSP). **

It is a position she has held since 2005 and this week she was awarded the Public Service Medal as part of the King’s Birthday Honours for her two decades of service.

“I am inspired by the community and the school that has students with complex needs,” Mrs Eccleston said.

“I am in awe of their resilience and energy they have very day. It makes you want to do the very best you can for the parent community and students and take the time to rejoice in the small steps of improvement.”

Mrs Eccleston said she felt “humbled” by the honour.

“There are so many wonderful people in the Department (of Education),” she said.

“My work gives me great joy. I have been in education for a long time,”

Mrs Eccleston has worked for more than 50 years in public education.

Her award citation said Mrs Eccleston’s work at Halinda was ‘complex work catering for highly disadvantaged students who exhibit challenging behaviours and disabilities that require substantial learning adjustments’.

‘Mrs Eccleston has shown unwavering commitment to and advocacy for special education that has elevated Halinda School into a model of educational excellence and inclusivity’, the citation read.

The citation acknowledged Mrs Eccleston’s relentless pursuit to improve outcomes for vulnerable students and their families.

‘Ms Eccleston has created bespoke learning environments and life skills programs, including the highly successful Kitchen Garden and the mini-Woolworths store, which gives students learning opportunities in a functional real-world context. Robust transition plans are collaboratively developed and implemented to support older students to gain skills to participate in the workforce beyond school,’ it read.

‘Mrs Eccleston’s service history reflects not only longevity but a consistent commitment to education excellence and leadership. She frequently surpasses expectation by dedicating her own time to support families and students and it is this level of care that has made a profound and transformative impact on the lives of thousands of vulnerable young learners’.

** SSPs provide specialist and intensive support for students with moderate to high learning and support needs. They offer dedicated settings and tailored programs for students who may require more intensive intervention than traditional mainstream schools