Associates A - D
Jim Alexander
A highly effective professional Jim has held senior management positions in schools, CfBT and most recently within the NS acting on behalf of the DfE. Jim served as a headteacher in a large inner city primary school and also acted as a seconded headteacher for a school in Special Measures. It was during this period of secondment that the school was recognised as one of the most improved schools nationally in terms of pupil outcomes. Jim is qualified to lead both Primary and Special School inspections, as well as SCC monitoring visits. As a CfBT Senior Inspector Jim was responsible for the training and induction of new inspectors as well as mentoring and assessing newly trained Lead Inspectors on their first inspection. Jim served on the Training and Recruitment, Quality Assurance and the SCC senior management teams. Jim also investigated and responded to complaints following inspections across the northern region. As SSIA for the NS Jim provided strategic leadership to secure improved standards and rates of progression, the closing of the attainment gap for underachieving groups and increased workforce expertise across the nine east midland local authorities. Jim had responsibility for strengthening and quality assuring the consistency of tailored programme delivery across the region, and to ensure that local authorities, schools and the National Strategy systematically learn from the most successful practice. Jim served on the national steering group for Priority Learning Local Authorities. Jim is currently contracted to inspect SCC, Primary and SEN schools under the Ofsted framework, as well as supporting LA and school improvement. Jim is a creative and dynamic professional with a proven track record of school improvement both nationally and within individual schools. He quickly gains the confidence of those he works with and has the demonstrable ability to problem solve and deliver to deadlines.
Mike Booth
Mike is working as an independent consultant and became one of Northern Education’s Associates after retiring 18 months ago following 14 years as headteacher in two Newcastle Secondary Schools. Mike was the secondary head lead in Newcastle L.A.’s successful B.S.F. bid and acted as the Head Teacher representative on the Local Education Partnership Board (L.E.P.). Mike’s own school, Walbottle Campus, is seen by many as a stunning example of a successful B.S.F. re-building programme and proves what can be achieved when architects, educationalists and builders work together in close collaboration. More recently, Mike has worked on the Somerset BSF proposal with Sir Robert McAlpine, and has worked on the designs of Academy new build schemes in Cumbria and Bolton. Mike’s main interest is ensuring building design meets the practical day to day educational and pastoral needs of students, staff and community and making sure that schools get good value for money.
John Bowers
John has worked for Northern Education as a School Improvement Partner in North East Lincolnshire. John was appointed Head Teacher of Sherwood Hall School in Mansfield in 2005. The school in the previous two years had seen four Head Teachers during a time of significant turbulence. The school had been placed in Special Measures in 2003 and the school faced complex challenges. During the period of Johns leadership the Local Authority recognised how his problem solving skills coupled with sensitive yet firm people management skills successfully lifted the self esteem and aspirations of pupils and staff. The result was a significant improvement in results across the school with 5A* - C rising from 22% to 42%. John’s very clear and effective leadership was recognised as having a significant impact by OFSTED and as a result the school was removed from Special Measures in 2006 and Notice to Improve in 2007. John has experience in working independently in schools including being a School Improvement Partner where he has achieved an excellent balance of challenge and support, with his schools making improvements in teaching and standards. He has worked with groups of schools in establishing the strategic direction of school partnerships including developing effective curriculum models. John has extensive experience in all aspects of school management which he uses to effectively support the schools he works with. John has experience in coaching and provides support for both serving and aspiring Head Teachers.
Amanda Bramley
Colleagues describe Amanda as ‘enthusiastic and inspirational’; being committed to high expectations, she has vision and a strong belief in collaborative and distributed ethos. Amanda has developed her vision and philosophy on inclusive education through a range of roles including teaching in, and taking senior leadership responsibility in challenging schools, and as a Local Authority Officer in a socially deprived area. Her recent role as part of a national and regional team has ensured that the priority for improving outcomes for children is founded in good practice and targeted early intervention. As a result she has been highly effective in leading the development of more effective climates for learning which secure higher attainment, improved behaviour and increased attendance and engagement of pupils. Her work underlines the need for an outstanding classroom experience to lead development activities and model successful approaches. She is committed to improving the quality of middle management as a key element in driving success. She continues to take the leading role in the development of the Programme for Specialist Leaders in Behaviour and Attendance (PSLBA), an action research based model of promoting distributed leadership for the children’s workforce. Her strengths centre around building capacity and sustainability of ethos and practice around first quality teaching and learning, establishing collaborative and reflective practice that promotes life long learning. She is a skilled facilitator of adults, committed to a solution focused model of learning and has presented both long and short courses to a wide range of teaching, non teaching and Children’s Services colleagues locally and nationally. Developing more effective classroom management and leadership skills through specialised coaching has increasingly become a key focus of her work.
Steve Byatt
Judged as an "outstanding" NCA by National Strategies and as a "highly effective / highly competent" SIP by Birmingham. Feedback from headteachers as part of the NCA annual performance review was summarised as "his impact has been impressive" with an "outstanding understanding of school improvement and raising attainment". Inspection reports whilst a head described him as "very good" and "clear about strategies needed for raising pupil's attainment" (Dudley) and, as part of an overall judgement of "good", referred to "strong leadership which is successfully changing the school's culture to one where all pupils are valued and included" (Hereford). Steve has been commissioned by two local authorities to carry out some intensive work to secure rapid improvement in schools that have recently been categorised as inadequate by OfSTED. HMI monitoring visits have recognised his impact on the effectiveness of leadership and governance. One of his National Challenge schools in Birmingham was recently inspected and the report noted his contribution to the school's significant improvements. In this school, he worked with senior leaders to improve their self-evaluation, intervention systems and accountability of leadership at all levels- including the Governing Body. Alongside this, improvements were secured in mathematics and English by a combination of his direct intervention or through the commissioning of external support, including from the local network of schools. In another of his Birmingham schools, attainment improved from 15% A*-C (EM) to 30% to 46% in the first 2 years of National Challenge. This was a complex situation and Steve played a significant role working with governors, schools, DCSF and LA in the progression of a structural solution and subsequent action plan that brought about a federation with an outstanding school and an NLE. In addition to his NCA/SIP work, Steve has also carried out improvement projects on behalf of an academy sponsor and is an accredited Leadership Development Adviser for the National College.
Dr. Avril Chambers
Avril is an experienced professional in Children’s Services, Public Health and Education, with a successful track record in change management, strategic and operational analysis and performance improvement. For over 3 years she was National Delivery Manager for the Department of Health (DH) and the Department of Children Schools and Families (DCSF). Leading group of national experts and member of senior management teams at local, regional and national levels. Her national role career has been working at a senior level of responsibility at the interface between Health Services and Children’s and Young People’s Services Providing advice and support to Chief Executives of PCTs and Local Authorities, Directors of Children’s Services and Directors of Public Health. Advising, supporting and influencing senior civil servants and Government Ministers in the implementation of policy change. Previously Avril was education manager in several of the Merseyside Council and for Greater Merseyside Connexions. She was instrumental in the successful management of change e.g. integration of services & joint commissioning; restructure of one of the largest Service Areas, Looked After Children reforms, Young Runaways protocol, young people’s sexual health, teenage pregnancy. Avril has proven ability to manage complex partnership and inter-agency relationships and the political skills and awareness to undertake this successfully. She managed an innovative Inter Agency Development Programme which across Merseyside for over 3 years. It was highly successful in developing training for professionals working with young people, in partnership with HE institutions and the Open College. Over 6,000 people accessed accredited training developed to meet local need. Avril has significant experience in research and evaluation and worked closely with NFER to research young people’s views, behaviour and inter/multi agency working. Avril is a trained guidance professional and offers support to managers for coaching and personal development. Avril has designed, developed and delivered a wide range of training for including Governors, Councillors, Headteachers, Professionals working with Children, Health Services and teachers. In 2010 Avril set up as an Independent Consultant and has been involved with several organisations including Connexions, and Reflect and Change. Currently working on SEN 139A quality assurance assessments for a client and developing training materials to support partners working with young people with special needs.
Elaine Colquhoun
Elaine has worked in the field of Education for 30 Years. In 2008/9 She was seconded to Ofsted as an Additional Inspector and led Inspections in Secondary ,Middle school mainstream settings as well as a range of Special schools. She currently inspects schools and has developed a consultant role in assisting schools with pre-Ofsted inspection reviews, providing high quality advice. She has recently carried out a review on a LA Behaviour support Service. Elaine has worked as a school Improvement Partner since 2007 and is currently working with 3 Special schools BESD including residential. This has been a successful partnership which has developed the schools.1 school is described as Outstanding by Ofsted in 2011 and 2 of the schools described as Good with Outstanding features. In 2000, Elaine was appointed as Head Teacher of Hill Top special School and is currently in post. The school is a large secondary Special catering for students 11to 19 years with a wide range of learning disabilities, including MLD, SLD, BESD, Autism and those with hearing and visual impairment. The school has illustrated its achievements through a number of awards, Specialist Arts Status, Sportsmark, Artsmark, International award and the schools Achievement Award. As a current practitioner she is able to draw on her practice to provide relevant and up to date consultancy for a range of settings. Elaine has experience of Special Education at a local, national and international level. She has worked in the National field of Special Education as the President of Nasen, 2008/2010 the National Association of Special Educational Needs. She continues to remain abreast of current issues through her continued work as a past president. Internationally she has delivered a wide range of training. She has visited and worked in special schools in China, Hong Kong, Poland and India and has experience of schools in Russia. She has presented on a variety of themes on Special Education at Conferences in Britain, Ireland, India, Taiwan and China during the past 5 years.
Stephen Cook
Steve was educated at Hull Grammar School, Loughborough College, where he specialised in Physical Education and Mathematics and Hull University where he achieved a Master of Arts degree in Organisation and Management of Education. His first teaching appointment was as a physical education and mathematics teacher and he quickly progressed to become a Head of Physical Education Department then Head of Year before being appointed as Pastoral Head, then Director of Studies. Because of the timing of Hull Schools’ Reorganisation, Steve experienced deputy headship in two schools before securing his first headship. All of Steve’s five headships have been in inner city schools in challenging circumstances and he believes that his success in each of them has been due to being able to create a co-responsible team in which everyone knows what is expected of them and where everyone gets the support that they need to do the job. Away from work Steve is married to Gill and has a son, a daughter and two step-sons. He enjoys playing golf (badly), walking, reading autobiographies and watching sport. Steve is also a member of the Governing Body of his local sixth form college.
Alan Davis
Alan has held a number of leadership posts in large secondary schools in West Yorkshire. Following two Deputy Headships in Bradford in the 1980s and ‘90s, he was appointed Head of a large 13-18 school in Kirklees in 1993. Under his leadership, the school roll increased by 50% in 5 years and it became consistently over-subscribed. It was designated a specialist Business and Enterprise College and for three consecutive years, was recognised by the SSAT in its “most improved schools club.” Between 2003-6 two feeder schools went into OFSTED categories and another had significant leadership issues. Alan was approached to lead a Federation of these schools as Executive Head; all schools improved rapidly, two of them moving to OFSTED “good”. Alan became National Challenge Adviser (NCA) for 6 schools in West Yorkshire in 2008 and in 2009 2 further schools were allocated. At this point he retired from the Executive Head post to focus on NCA work. Since 2008, all 6 original National Challenge schools have improved their 5A*- CEM by an average of over 5%pa each and whilst 2 were in OFSTED categories in 2008, both have now received satisfactory (and improving) judgements from OFSTED. The 2 most recently added schools have improved from sub-30 to 55 and 60% respectively whilst a further of his NC schools was judged the most improved in Yorkshire and Humberside 2008-10 and also the 44th most improved nationally. Alan is also SIP for an academy in Manchester and now works as a freelance school improvement consultant with ten schools focussing specifically upon raising attainment, leadership and management, school self-evaluation and inspection advice and support.
Tricia Davies
Tricia is a highly motivated and enthusiastic education and management consultant with a wide range of experience in the education sector. Tricia has developed proven leadership and management skills involving managing a school with serious difficulties, motivating, developing and encouraging teams to achieve their objectives. She has worked extensively with schools in all phases to provide consultancy in a wide range of areas including improving and raising standards, moving from satisfactory to good to outstanding; Investors in People; staff development; senior and middle leadership; performance management; team building and assessment. Tricia is engaged with several primary, secondary and special schools who are causing concern. She is working with middle and senior leaders to provide intensive support to enable them to develop. Tricia has worked on the majority of the National College leadership programmes including New Visions; NPQH; Leadership Pathways; LftM; CSBM; ADSBM as well as the HLTA programmes which included utilising her skills in facilitation, assessing and coaching. Tricia has been accredited by the National College in all programmes in which she is involved. She worked on the Fasttrack programme from its inception including supporting Fasttrack teachers as well as assessing prospective applicants. She now provides support for the Tomorrow’s Leaders programme. Tricia is an accredited SIP and a practising section 5 inspector. She diversified to work on the Building Schools for the Future and Primary Capital Programmes
Carl Dent
Carl has worked as an Educational Consultant across the UK specialising in Educational Leadership, school improvement and curriculum development since forming his own consultancy company in January 2008. In 2002 Carl was appointed as Head Teacher of a challenging inner city school. The School had a social deprivation indicator of 0.4, twice the National Average. Attainment on entry was well below average. During Carl’s leadership the school twice achieved it’s highest ever 5+A*-C results and met FFTD Key Stage 4 targets for the first time. In 2006 the school achieved its best ever KS3 results and met five out of its six FFTD targets. In 2008 Carl provided curriculum consultancy to a school in the north east and then worked as Interim Associate Leader in a London Comprehensive School in an Ofsted category. This role included three months as Acting Head Teacher in addition to supporting the Head Teacher in developing a wide range of strategies to raise the quality of Learning and Teaching and improve Standards and Achievement. During Carl’s two years in the school the 5+A*-C results increased by 28%, 5+A*-C results including English and Maths increased by 16% both surpassing FFTD targets. CVA increased by 27 points. In 2010 Carl took on a part-time role as Associate Head Teacher in Barnsley to manage and implement change. Results at the school improved in 2010 with students achieving improvements in 5+A*-C, 5+A*-G, Average Capped Points and Average Total Points Score. Following the Ofsted Inspection Carl worked with the Local Authority and National Challenge Advisor to review provision to inform the Local Authority Statement of Action. Carl is now working with the new Executive Head Teacher (NLE) and is implementing a targeted CPD programme to raise the quality of Learning and Teaching. In March 2010 Carl commenced work as Lead Educational Consultant to an Academy project. Carl was responsible for supporting multiple educationally expert sponsors, the project management team and Principal Designate. He led the development of the Education Brief, supported the Human Resources Team and developed the staffing structures. Carl was a member of the ICT development group and was the Education Advisor to the Design User Group. Following opening Carl has continued to support the Academy Principal in a range of issues including curriculum, data, teaching and learning and assessment. Carl also works for the Isle of Wight Local Authority in one high school reviewing the quality of Leadership & Management, teaching and learning and supporting the development of succession planning for transformation into a Pathfinder Trust School. Carl also provided an interim review of the Acting Head Teachers Performance Management for the Governing Body and is supporting the Principal Designate.
Janet Doherty
Janet Doherty is a well regarded educational professional whose experience is rooted in success in both individual school and local authority work. She is held in high regard by those who know her. Her wide professional knowledge and interpersonal skills are key strengths. Having been in one of the first cohorts to be awarded the NPQH in 2000, Janet was promoted from her role as Senior Deputy in a large Wigan secondary school, to lead the Secondary advisory team in the same authority in 2003. Since then she has worked for Wigan and Oldham Children’s Services between 2003-2009 holding roles at Assistant Director (second tier) level in both. She started as an independent consultant in September 2009 and since then has worked with a range of schools in Sheffield, Bolton and Merseyside supporting school self evaluation, developing partnerships and improving outcomes. She has also worked extensively for Sheffield and Bolton Children’s Services since September 2009. Janet is an accredited SIP and currently undertaking this role in Sheffield. An ex Head of English and Drama, Janet offers strong and incisive support to LAs, school leaders and governing bodies through a range of bespoke activities; developing and leading city wide strategy for city councils and at individual school level supporting schools pre and post Ofsted inspections. Wider work with schools has included paired observation with SLT and emergent leaders, whole school reviews as team leader and team member, subject reviews, SEN reviews, Head teacher Performance Management, Leadership reviews, coaching and role playing. At strategic, area and city wide level, Janet has facilitated schools to come together as trusts and or federations, developed protocols for school to school support and is currently working with Sheffield City Council to develop its provision for children with Special Educational Needs.
John Dryden
John was Headteacher of Heaton Manor in Newcastle, one of the largest schools in the North of England. Ofsted judged Heaton Manor as ‘a very good school with some excellent features’ and said that improvement since the previous inspection had been excellent. The report commented that much of what has been achieved over the previous five years was due to the outstanding leadership of the Headteacher. John has significant experience of successful transformation and change management, notably through steering a large school community through the planning, opening and operation of one of the largest PFI schools in the country. John is an accredited NCA and SIP. He has extensive experience and skills in strategic planning, curriculum development, data analysis, self-evaluation and classroom observations which have enabled him to provide high quality support for schools in addressing challenging issues or supporting their planning for improvement. John has a deep personal commitment to education and cares passionately about its quality and the opportunities that it can provide for the growth and development of young people.