My wife, Carin Messent, who has died aged 59 of a stroke, was an English teacher who rose to be head of the Carlton Academy school in Nottingham and then director of school improvement and quality assurance at the Redhill Academy Trust.
An inspirational presence in school, Carin left an indelible impression on those she taught and was able to talk to teenagers without condescension. Highly competent and scrupulously fair, both to staff and students, she was tremendously well liked.
