About Me

Since entering teacher training, I have lived and breathed primary and early years education.

Over the last four years, I have had the opportunity to build on my Leadership and Management experience, school and setting improvement experience, and worked across the full range of maintained schools, PVI, independent and special sector provision, including a MAT to develop a Trust-wide strategy for EYFS improvement.

Throughout this journey, I have worked directly with EYFS settings and led teams of consultants up and down England. With teachers and practitioners, we have co-created a pathway for ‘Exceptional Learning, Exceptional Play”, underpinned by evidence, child development and the best of provision and play.

I have been lucky enough to be involved in writing an EYFS Curriculum for a large Nursery Chain, which is being implemented nationally and internationally across their brand.

I have been involved in the Childcare Sufficiency Project, working across the sector and developing nurseries within schools operated by the schools or, like I did as a Headteacher, run in partnership with PVI. I have had the opportunity to write and talk about this work in exchanges and webinars with Nursery World magazine. I have always seen provision on school sites as a real opportunity to learn and grow from each other for both Childcare and Education.

Experience

Having been a Headteacher for over 16 years, I have a depth of leadership and management experience across a wide range of leadership challenges within a primary school.

Key Stage 1 Department Leader

I began my career in early years, quickly joining the senior leadership team in my third year of teaching, leading the Key Stage 1 department and organising the infant amalgamation to the main school site, whilst also working to progress the knowledge and skills the children had developed in their foundation stage. 

Deputy Headteacher

Having transferred to a Deputy Headteacher position, I found myself again in KS1. A term later, following the departure of the Headteacher, I was in charge of the school, and began my life-long love of Headship and school improvement.

Headteacher

In conjunction with many curriculum reviews, teaching and learning policy developments, school funding and budget reviews; over the next 16 years, I implemented a complete refurbishment and replacement of all aspects of the school including the creation of a Foundation Unit, the co-location of a preschool, a community room for wrap-around care, as well as complete school grounds redevelopment. 

Academy Trust

Leading the Governors to become a founder school in the creation of a multi-academy trust with four other schools. My experience continued to broadened working both across the MAT in school reviews and leading both the EYFS and SEND networks. I also took a lead role in working to challenge and support EYFS leads and SENDCo's in their role, widening the EYFS and SEND networks at both local and national levels. 

Qualifications

Along with my extensive school experience, my qualifications include:

• National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (in process).
  
• Masters in Science in Educational Leadership - Dissertation on the Strategic Leadership of Inclusion.
  
• National Professional Qualification for Headteachers.
  
• Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Primary Education.
  
• Fellow of the Chartered College.
  
• NEBOSH in Educational Establishments.
  
• Various other Safeguarding, Health and Safety, and statutory requirement certificates for working within Early years and Education.

Membership of:

• Early Education 
• BERA
• Chartered College
• National Association of Headteachers
• Helyn Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy

My true love of education, leadership and all things EYFS, coupled with a desire to support school leaders with school improvement, will allow headteachers to make evidenced and effective decisions for their school; in accordance with the latest DfE, OfSTED updates, and relevant national agendas.

You can trust that my Evidenced Education safeguarding policy is rigorous and built on OfSTED requirements; working always with schools and in the best interests of the children.

• DBS Certificate with schools able to check certificate numbers independently. 
• Safeguarding trained consultant at designated lead level. 
• Safeguarding trained in Safer Recruitment.
• Annual training in Safeguarding Children in Education. 
• Paediatric First Aid Trained.

Evidenced Education also holds:

• Business Insurance. 
• Certificates of Professional Indemnity. 
• Certificate of Public Liability.
• GDPR trained.
  

Giving Back

I am constantly looking for ways to give back to schools.

Every year I randomly select a local school or pre-school, or one of the schools on my books, to receive my Amazon smile donations so that they can be put to good use in schools. 

As Director, I also involve myself in national educational initiatives at primary and early years, and these schools are offered places to become involved in exclusive events with their children. 

Evidenced Education supports climate change actively by:

Working towards the use of recycled materials within my business.

Working towards a paperless business system in my leadership processes. 

Through leadership and management:

Supporting schools to develop both a commitment and methodology to climate friendly practices across their organisation. 

Through curriculum commitment and organisation: 

Encouraging schools to ensure issues around environmental awareness and climate change ere explored within the curriculum at all stages.

Through resourcing:

Guiding schools to purchase recycled, sustainable and reused products where appropriate.