Associates F - L
Doug Folan
Doug Folan has over 20 years of senior management and operational experience in school improvement, change management, leadership and developing effective classrooms. He has worked closely with headteachers and senior management teams across a range of settings including primary, secondary and special schools. Doug knows that building the capacity of staff and creating strong learning communities, with rigorous monitoring of the quality of teaching, attendance and behaviour are at the heart of school improvement. Doug’s skill is enabling staff to look at their performance, ask questions about their progress and identify the changes that they need to make on their journey for continual improvement. Doug is used to critically evaluating plans against their implementation. He has worked at a national level evaluating the performance and plans of specialist schools as well as supporting teaching and learning particularly in assessment for learning and developing learning power. He has also led the development of learning communities in local authorities.
Keith Ford
Keith is currently the Interim Head Teacher at Mount Pleasant Junior, Infant and Nursery School in Huddersfield and has developed systems and processes that show that the school has the capacity to improve from its present position. He has established systems to clearly identify children at risk of not reaching the expected levels in all year groups. In 1993, Keith was appointed as Head Teacher of Quarry Mount Primary School in Leeds. This was an inner-city school with a wide range of multi-cultural children. His work concentrated on developing a team following the re-organisation of schools in Leeds. He successfully managed the school’s first Ofsted inspection. In 1996, Keith became the Head Teacher of Boothroyd Junior and Infant School in Dewsbury. The school had 430 children with an ethnicity factor of 98%. It was part of the Excellence in Clusters group in Dewsbury and Batley. Keith led the school through three successful inspections. Keith was appointed as a Consultant Leader for Primary Strategy in 2003. He worked with management teams of nine primary schools, looking at ways of raising standards in Literacy and Numeracy. Keith also supported a newly-appointed Acting Head Teacher in establishing structures to enable the school to function effectively. In 2004, Keith was employed as a Remodelling Advisor/School Improvement Officer by Kirklees LEA. He had responsibility for delivering training to all schools and monitoring the implementation of the agreement. Part of Keith’s role was to provide continuing advice and support to Governing Bodies about their responsibilities and obligations with regard to Performance Management.
David Fox
David has extensive experience leading and promoting improvement and excellence in schools. He was a successful headteacher with his school graded outstanding in 2007 and 2010. David is experienced in supporting leaders and governors as they identify strategies for improvement and build confidence in their own leadership. As a headteacher he supported other schools as a School Improvement Partner in two authorities. Currently he provides valued independent professional support to schools and governing bodies. He quickly builds productive relationships through establishing trusting rapport, clear communication, professional integrity and consistent follow-up. David is experienced at working within the various frameworks and relationships in which schools operate. He was head of a foundation school, interim head of Catholic school, and has provided professional support in community, Church of England and Catholic schools. He has particular insight into the challenges faced by governors, having been a governor in four schools and currently a member of interim executive boards of two schools where conventional governance has been suspended. This gives him deep insight into needs of governors and leaders in schools facing challenges. David is committed to helping schools develop flourishing partnerships with other schools and organisations. As a head he helped establish ‘a highly successful partnership between 9 schools that significantly improved outcomes for children’ [TDA report 2008]. From this experience he has developed a clear and transferable set of proven techniques for facilitating and developing stimulating and supportive inter-school networking. He is well aware of the leadership skills needed in schools during periods of change, having been a workforce remodelling adviser and a consultant head on a regional professional development programme. He is particularly aware of the need to provide for the emotional as well as the technical needs of all involved. He looks forward to working with you.
Paul Frazer
Paul, who embarked upon a new career as a School Improvement Consultant in January 2012, has worked in three high schools, all of them serving communities with above-average levels of social deprivation. In his most recent leadership post as Principal of Airedale Academy, Wakefield, from January 2005 until December 2011, he led the school on a highly successful journey of improvement, with Ofsted judging his leadership outstanding, attributable to the rapid, year-on-year progress that the school had made following his appointment. He is a Local Leader of Education and has provided support to schools in a number of local authorities. He enjoys the challenge of organising, motivating and leading colleagues on school improvement journeys and has particular strengths in strategic-planning, team-building, systems-management and leadership .These qualities, together with his ability to establish a culture that promotes excellence, equality and high expectations of all pupils, enabled him to lead a school from Satisfactory to Good With Many Outstanding Features; from 30% 5A*to C grades including English and Maths to 59% and a VA score of 1066.4, placing it in the top percentile of all schools nationally. His expertise in self-evaluation, teaching and learning, data management and curriculum development created a productive learning environment which is engaging and fulfilling for all pupils and transformed pupil attendance, behaviour, progress and attainment.
Alan Gaunt
Alan has 20 years experience as a senior leader in secondary schools in both the capacity of a pastoral and curriculum lead. His Masters degree is in Curriculum Studies. Alan was a headteacher of a secondary school for 4 years and a senior lead in a large local authority for two years before moving on to take a role as a regional adviser with a company with a national profile. In this latter role he has led the development of frameworks linked to Ofsted judgements to assist schools in securing good learning and behaviour and advised on the last governments’ guidance partnership working. He has worked predominantly in the North East and Yorkshire and Humber with the occasional foray to the North West and South of England when his particular skills in securing partnership work were required. He had already built a reputation for forging effective partnerships during his time working as a senior LA Officer in Worcestershire. It was in Worcestershire that Alan began to build on his existing reputation for school improvement in perhaps the most challenging environment, Pupil Referral Units. He has taken this work on by establishing PRU Networks in NE and Y&H.
Ken Hall
Ken has taught in four very different secondary schools, in three education authorities and he has a track record of success. In his first headship, in Spennymoor , the school was named as one of country’s most improved. At Priesthorpe School in Leeds he has enjoyed similar success, with considerable improvements in all main ‘measures’, which now stand above national averages. Working in Durham, Ken gained a reputation for his work on inclusion. He has continued to take a lead in this area in Leeds. He is a member of the Leeds Inclusive Learning Board and Head Representative on the AIP. Ken is collaborative in approach and has been involved in Northern Partnership work, an imaginative Leading Edge Partnership across two authorities, Gaining Ground and Creative Partnerships. Priesthorpe School has a very diverse intake, with 30% of students mainly of Asian heritage. He works hard on behalf of the Community Cohesion agenda and established a highly successful project with the Warrington Peace Foundation. Ken is a qualified SIP, has facilitated a New Visions Programme (for recently appointed Headteachers) and has an interest in coaching work. He has expertise in school finance, staff restructuring and buildings development.
Hilary Harrison
Hilary Harrison has been a successful Head Teacher for 12 years, moving the school from just out of special measures to outstanding, showing good progress across 3 inspections. She worked for the Local Authority in 2001 following a difficult and critical inspection for the Local Authority particularly relating to special educational needs. As a head of a Business & Enterprise special school, Hilary has advised other specialist schools on the bidding process for Business andEnterprise. She is keen to establish relations with other schools and networks with Business & Enterprise schools, Co-operative Schools, Schools of Creativity (under Hilary’s leadership, the school also achieved School of Creativity and HPSS). One of Hilary’s main interests is use of data for tracking and monitoring progress for pupils with SEN. The school’s CVA has always been very high and Hilary is rigorous in monitoring school performance. Hilary is a qualified SIP and has worked with both secondary and primary special schools and has been involved in Head Teacher performance management. She will be a trained Leader in Local Education by January 2012 and is particularly interested in working with schools in tracking and monitoring progress of pupils with SEN. Hilary can work with special schools in planning strategies for school improvement and raising pupil achievement.
Paul Harrison
Paul Harrison has been a secondary Headteacher for fifteen years. His school is recognised as one of the best in the North East of England and was graded Outstanding by Ofsted in May 2010 for Achievement. Paul’s school expertise lies in Leadership and Management, Raising Achievement and Teaching and Learning. He is an accredited School Improvement Partner. He was member of the National Languages Steering Group, a Ministerial Advisory Group in 2002. He has subsequently played a major part in the field of Languages. He has developed international links, twice winning an International Schools Award, and has sat on numerous steering groups. Paul is a Governor/Trustee of CILT, National Centre for Languages and is an EU expert for the assessment of Lifelong Learning programmes. He has presented regularly to University PGCE students, to national and international conferences and in 2009 was invited to present on Language policy to a committee of the House of Lords. He has consultancy experience on 14-19 issues, the Diplomas, and providing CPD in the FE sector. He is currently providing consultancy on bidding for EU education programmes.
Jean Hart
Jean was a primary school head teacher and has 15 years experience leading schools in challenging circumstances before taking retirement in July 2008. She has had 39 years experience in primary education and has strategic experience in turning failing schools into successes and in budget management to facilitate growth. Jean has wide experience in local and regional education issues, including previous Regional President of the National Association of Head Teachers. and is passionately committed to the development of leaders at all levels. She is currently working as an Education Consultant supporting schools in challenging circumstances, undertaking leadership needs research for NCSL and serving as a board member on Graduation Boards for NPQH candidates. She also gives an annual input to Durham University students in their last year of teacher training on how to approach job applications and interviews. Jean is passionate about equality of opportunity particularly in education and employment and about developing citizenship skills in young people and is also dedicated to supporting senior leaders in schools to become effective leaders, Head Teachers and managers of change. Since retirement in July 2008 sheI has been enabled to put these interests into effect and make a difference to the next generation of school leaders. She has found the work invigorating and rewarding and has also engaged in work with middle managers on building successful teams.
Cynthia Hetherington
Cynthia Hetherington has extensive experience in the field of SEN and has spent the majority of her career working in special schools across the North East region. She is the former Head of Collingwood School and Media Arts College in Morpeth, Northumberland where she worked passionately to transform the school into the centre of excellence it is recognised as today. During her Headship the school was three times recognised as outstanding in all areas by Ofsted and this legacy of excellence was so deeply embedded that the school was recognised again as outstanding following her retirement in 2009. She has significant experience in all aspects of school leadership and management and trained as a School Improvement Partner for special schools working in this capacity in Sunderland, North Tyneside and Hartlepool. She has delivered national training for special schools and PRUs in various aspects of school improvement and in the development of a creative curriculum and has worked as SIP adviser into the secondary sector. Cynthia has also worked as the Special School and SENCO coordinator for the former SSAT sharing best practice across the region and supporting schools to realise their ambition to provide the best they possibly can for the children they work with. Cynthia has a keen interest in disadvantaged and disengaged children and young people and the relationship between the curriculum and pastoral offer made by schools and the challenges schools face in managing behaviour and works with primary, secondary schools PRUs and LAs to support the development of appropriate and high quality provision. She is Chief Executive of The Learning Challenge, a charity established to work with vulnerable children and young people in the North East. Cynthia brings a vast amount of skill and experience to the Northern Education Team and is keen to work with special or mainstream schools
Alan Hewitt
From 1991 to 2004 Alan was Headteacher at Hope High School in Salford and from 2004 to 2006 a School Improvement Officer and LIG Manager in Salford full time. From 2006 to 2009 he was employed part time so that he could develop his consultancy work. Much of the SIO work was involved in developing projects that spanned other areas of Children’s Services. He is currently a SIP to four High Schools in Tameside of which two are in Gaining Ground, one in Special Measures and one which is an “Outstanding School”. He is also a SIP to the three PRUs in Tameside. He was appointed to the role of SIP in two Academies in November 2010. Alan worked as an interim Regional Adviser for National Strategies in the North East setting up the National Challenge programme and later in the same role in the North West enabling LAs to put into place the quality assurance processes required. Alan was also a National Challenge Adviser in Liverpool (4 schools) and Bradford (2 schools). Two schools rose from just above the floor targets for 5+A*-C including English and maths to over 50% in two years. In Liverpool was part of the team that enabled one school to come out of Special Measures and become a National Challenge Trust School with a new Head and Governing Body. In two other schools in Liverpool, he helped them to prepare to become an Academy for a September 2010 opening, by developing joint Raising Attainment Plans at KS3 and 4. Alan also does INSET on moving schools from "Good to Outstanding", setting up quality assurance processes in schools and leadership development training and coaching. He has worked with three Governing Bodies in ensuring that they can put into place processes that will enable them to support and challenge their schools more effectively and worked with a Trust Partnership in Liverpool to help them deliver on the School Improvement Plan and partnership working. Alan is currently a Governor of a Secure Unit in Salford. He has kept up to date with educational initiatives and has backed up his extensive experience with a further Masters Degree this time in Process Consultancy from Manchester University (2007) which focussed on Executive Coaching. Alan’s previous experience working in Salford LA and the BBC has enabled him to work across other public service areas and business. He has been involved in successful bid writing and chaired multi agency meetings.
Miriam Hill
Miriam Hill is an Educational Consultant Coach specialising in building personal capacity, professional expertise and maximizing potential in the Secondary classroom. As an Independent professional, she delivers bespoke programmes to schools and other agencies addressing issues of engagement, behaviour and underachievement, raising aspirations and improving outcomes in all professional contexts. Following senior leadership roles in challenging North West secondary schools, Miriam worked as a Senior National Strategy School Improvement Consultant where she collaborated with senior teams managing, developing and delivering creative CPD programmes as strategies for effective and sustainable School Improvement. Working with Northern Education since 2010, Miriam has provided support and challenge to secondary leadership teams and provided motivation, inspiration and support to individuals and teams aiming to progress from ‘Satisfactory to Good’, and improving standards and levels of confidence in the classroom and beyond. She has developed high quality innovative resources and materials for a full range of curriculum initiatives using wide ranging subject knowledge and her specialism in Drama. Miriam is an ‘inspirational coach and mentor’ who ‘possesses exceptional communication and inter-personal skills’ making her an ‘excellent motivator and agent of change’. Miriam is also a practicing NLP therapist and runs her own successful Interior design business.
Bob Howarth
Bob has 16 years experience as a Head Teacher in running self managing schools, independent of Local Authority control. As a Head of Astley High School in Northumberland he took the school to Grant Maintained status. As Principal of Macmillan City Technology College (which later converted to Academy status) he had experience of all aspects of Academy development, many of which were leading edge at the time of their introduction. Teaching and Learning initiatives included thinking skills, electronics education and outdoor education. These were integrated into the KS3 curriculum. Academy wide audio-visual resources were based around a TV studio. The Academy was responsible for its own finances, including payroll and negotiating finance from its bank. He oversaw three different building projects with a total value of £20 million. The results in the Academy were improved from “cause for concern” to “outstanding” in terms of Ofsted inspection reports during Bob’s tenure. The results remain consistently over 90% A* - C for a school in a deprived, inner city location. Bob led the school through a bid for implementing initiatives such as a Training School and a Federation. He reflects that his greatest strength was in the development of a system of strategic planning which delivered the results the Academy achieves. His experience of working with three different teams of Governors and Chairs over a 16 year period has given him an insight into the significant effect good governance can have on a school.
Ken Howell
Until August 2008 Ken was Headteacher at Smithills School Bolton a mixed 11-16 urban Comprehensive School with 1450 students on roll. The school served a diverse community two thirds of which came from wards classed in the bottom 25% for deprivation where Free School Meals ran at above 25% and 30% of students were from an ethnic minority. The school had a Performing Arts Specialism with an Internationally acclaimed Brass Band. In his role as an active SIP he has a thorough knowledge of FFT data and Raiseonline. He has experience of Headteacher PM and has worked as an Advisory Governor to a school in Notice to Improve. He has contributed significantly to planning with schools facing restructuring due to budget deficits and produced recovery plans for governors and LA officers. He has worked as a mentor to a Headteacher at a school with a warning notice evaluating and advising on curriculum structure and staffing levels. He has conducted full departmental reviews and produced reports with recommendations for Governors. He works regularly with associate colleagues completing pre OFSTED school reviews.
Gill Hunter
Gill has held a range of roles in schools, LAs, Higher Education and in the National Strategies. She has worked with schools and settings from 2 to 19 across the north. In 2008 she was appointed to the National Strategies as Senior Regional Adviser for EYFS in the Yorkshire and Humber region working with leaders and practitioners in LAs, schools and settings. She then worked as Senior School Improvement Adviser with primary schools in the NE. She led two highly effective teams in implementing and developing strategies to improve outcomes for children 0-11 years. Before joining the National Strategies she was Curriculum and Innovations Manager (2-11) with Manchester LA. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team she led the team of primary consultants and managed the Early EYFS lead officers. Gill is a skilled trainer of adults and has written and presented long and short courses to teaching and non teaching staff, Initial Teacher Trainees (ITT), parents, governors, headteachers, LA officers both locally and nationally. Gill has worked as an accredited Ofsted inspector and is an accredited primary School Improvement Partner (SIP). She has worked with a significant number of primary and secondary schools in Manchester and the NE.
Jim Jack
Jim has worked successfully at senior leadership level in schools and local authorities. Seconded from a deputy headship post in Kendal, he spent nearly three years at Senior Adviser level in Cumbria as part of a national pilot project. Jim then returned to direct engagement with students, staff and parents as a headteacher, serving in two highly rated 11-18 comprehensive schools. Since 2002, he has continued an active and successful involvement with schools as a SIP, as a highly experienced facilitator for middle leadership development programmes and as assessor and tutor for NPQH. He has recently added ADSBM and CSBM to his portfolio of experience. He has worked closely with headteachers, senior teams and governors in developing self-evaluation, in analysis of performance data and in staff development. He believes firmly that his role is to challenge schools supportively in formulating their development strategies, with the school retaining a very strong sense of ownership of its chosen paths, especially in the detail of how each school will respond to externally stated direction. This is to ensure that the uniqueness of each school community and how it serves its neighbourhood is preserved in responding positively and aspirationally to the many and varied demands placed on it by the education system. From his central involvement in the development of approaches to appraisal, he has a particular interest and expertise in supporting headteacher performance review, being especially keen to see performance review and development of all staff as part of a wider single piece of work which incorporates participative school self-evaluation and development planning. He is also interested in supporting schools in designing and, if requested, facilitating middle leadership development work. A passion for effective and enjoyable education for young people through positive and enthusiastic teaching remains at the heart of his work.
Barbara Jordan
Barbara has been a Headteacher (primary), Ofsted Inspector and School Improvement Partner. In her previous position as Chief Adviser in a local council Barbara gained extensive experience of providing effective school improvement services to primary schools, including consultant support, networking and sharing good practice. Her work has also involved raising the quality of provision in Early Years and Foundation Stage settings. She understands the importance of clear advice to schools being based on accurate analysis of school data and careful consideration of the school’s performance in all aspects of its work. Barbara has worked closely with Head teachers, leadership teams and governing bodies on a wide range of school improvement priorities. She is used to providing focused challenges to schools and to supporting action planning for school development. She has long experience of reporting to governing bodies and of providing services and training for school self-evaluation, performance management and governing body self-evaluation. Having a successful track record of helping schools to improve, Barbara knows that schools can benefit significantly from expert external advice which is firmly linked to national benchmarks such as Ofsted criteria and which gives an accurate assessment of a school’s strengths and areas for development particularly in relation to the quality of teaching and learning. Working through good relationships, particularly with Head teachers, and open dialogue, Barbara uses her skills and expertise to provide focused and robust challenge and support to all levels of school leadership to ensure sustainable improvements to the quality of education offered to children.
Bill Jordan CBE
Bill Jordan is Executive Headteacher of Dyke House Sports and Technology College (an 11-16 school of 1140 pupils), which serves a largely socially deprived area in the town of Hartlepool on the north east coast of England. The college has 40% free school meals and a similar SEN (Special Educational Needs) profile with a 60% AEN (Additional Education Needs). Bill was appointed in September 1993 to a school damned by OFSTED and listed for closure, with 7% of pupils gaining 5A*-C grades out of a roll of 480, which how has 1140 pupils. The college now boasts 97% A*-C with 55% including English and mathematics as well as a VA of 1066. It has been consistently in the top 1% of schools for value added measures over the last 5 years. Bill was Executive Headteacher of Brierton School in Hartlepool as well as Dyke House College for a 3 year period to successfullly raise standards and achievements between 1996 and 1999 when the school was given a ''notice to improve''. His 42 year career began in a state boarding school in Cheshire from 1969 to 1994 and in this period he has worked in urban and inner city comprehensive education in Blyth, Northumberland, the west end of Newcastle and North Tyneside. He is fiercly passionate about every child having the opportunity to succeed and a strong advocate of the inclusion agenda. He also has extensive experience and knowledge of cummunity education, extended services, holiday learning schemes, use of school buildings out of curriculum time and more recently, under the BSF programme, school designs (parrticulary refurbishment). Bill has worked with the NCSL and the DfE and local authorities in various capacities but largely around school improvement. Bill was awarded the CBE in 2004 for services to education, largely for turning around the achievements of a school in very challenging circumstances.
Mary Lanovy-Taylor
In 2009 Mary became an independent education consultant and has worked for Capita Strategic Children’s Services and has been contracted to CfBT as an Additional Inspector; she has recently joined Northern Education Associates. Mary has worked for the DCSF National Strategies field force as a Regional Adviser with Children’s Services and local authorities strategically to provide support and challenge around a whole range of school improvement issues, including change management. Until July 2010 Mary helped to support the National Challenge programme in the North West. In partnership with DCSF this helped to secure structural solutions for schools at risk, developed the role of National Challenge Advisers and produced quality school improvement materials and resources available online to all schools. From January 2008 Mary has assisted Local Authorities in Yorkshire and Humberside and the North West to self evaluate and complete the DCSF monitoring prompts and returns relating to behaviour, attendance and persistent absence in ‘Intensive’ Children’s Services. This involved visiting targeted schools with above average levels of persistent absence, monitoring and reporting on their progress and supporting and challenging leadership teams as necessary. Another element of her work was to visit schools identified as having ‘Inadequate Behaviour’ by Ofsted and monitor and report on their progress prior to re-inspection.
Sue Lomas
Sue has most recently worked for a local authority where she was the National Strategy Manager, leading a team of eight consultants in all aspects of school improvement, before taking on the role of School Improvement Officer. Sue worked with schools in Ofsted categories and those considered to be ‘Outstanding’ before being accredited as a SIP. She has since been working with 5 schools, 3 PRUs and 2 secure units. Sue has supported schools and PRUs in their journey out of Ofsted categories as well as supporting schools that are considered ‘outstanding in their provision in Salford local authority. In 2002 Sue was appointed as an Additional Inspector for the Initial Teacher Training Division of Ofsted and has carried out inspections of several geography training providers across the UK. She is continuing this work as an Associate of SERCO. Sue has recently taken up a post as a part time Associate Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University on their Postgraduate course for Geography. Sue has significant experience of supporting schools in improving the quality of teaching and learning. She has led whole school training sessions and coached individual teachers in how to expand their range of teaching strategies and pedagogy in order to improve the quality of learning in classrooms. During her time working in a local authority, Sue was also the Lead Behaviour Professional and led the work of the Behaviour and Attendance Team in supporting schools to audit and improve the behaviour of students in their schools/settings. Sue worked extensively with other stakeholders across the local authority to improve multi-disciplinary partnerships for the most vulnerable of students, encouraging schools to network to improve provision. Sue is also a trained counsellor. Since establishing herself as an independent consultant in 2010, Sue has worked with Special Schools and other small settings to support them in using data to demonstrate the impact of their work and to show how their establishments can demonstrate the progress of their students in all aspects of their education.
Tony Loveday
Tony has 16 years of senior leadership experience in secondary schools in Barnsley. He has spent eight years leading a secondary school serving some of the most deprived post codes in the country, during which time the 5+ A*/C outcome increased from 34% to 90%. Tony massively reorganised the whole school, using creative approaches to staffing, the curriculum and inclusive pastoral structures, simultaneously demonstrating an enhanced ability around resource and budget management. In collaboration with local HE colleges, he initiated a system of school wide action research, leading to regular and direct improvements within classrooms. The school was inspected twice during this period, each time the school was graded as Good. Tony was seconded for two years to act as secondary lead on Teaching and Learning to Barnsley Education Action Zone, working with a cluster of three secondary and sixteen primary schools, leading to significant and substantial improvements in each sector. He has worked as Executive/Consultant Headteacher to support a neighbouring secondary school and has used this experience to develop his coaching roles as a Local Leader in Education. He has considerable expertise and experience of the various examination boards, and has been Principal Examiner for three subjects. Tony sits on NPQH graduation boards and has considerable experience of Initial Teacher Training programmes.