With over 30 years of experience across the 3–19 educational landscape, Sharon is a specialist in “systems learning” and leadership development.
After achieving her Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Sharon spent five years immersed in the commercial sector—an experience that would later provide her with a unique perspective on the “real-world” applications of learning. In 1995, driven by a dedication for learning, she qualified as a secondary specialist English and Drama teacher.
In 2004, whilst full time teaching, she successfully completed an MSc in Education Management. By pursuing her own academic advancement alongside her students, she modelled the resilience and dedication required for true lifelong learning.
This early stage of her career was defined by a passion for the Arts and Creativity, leading to significant consultancy work for Creative Partnerships and Arts Council England, where she modelled creativity, encouraged and fostered professional discourse around curriculum and pedagogy.
Her leadership trajectory accelerated as she moved through both primary and secondary stages. Recognising the importance of systemic health in schools, she pursued and achieved both her NPQH (National Professional Qualification for Headship) and NPQEL (National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership). This dual-sector expertise culminated in 2014 when she took on the headship of a primary school, bringing her secondary-trained experience to the foundational years of education, whilst further developing her own knowledge and experience of the transition through education experienced by the children she served.
In recent years, Sharon’s focus has expanded toward “systems learning”—the study of how entire educational ecosystems grow and converse. In 2020, she contributed to the global academic discourse as the co-editor of a special issue for the Association for the Study of Primary Education (ASPE). Her work focused on the critical nuances of National and International approaches to SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) provision.
Most recently, Sharon served for six years as an Executive Director at City Learning Trust, a 3–19 multi-academy trust in Stoke-on-Trent. In this role, she contributed to the strategic direction of an all-through educational journey, committed to ensuring that the transition from early years to adulthood was seamless, ambitious, and deeply informed by the diverse experiences gathered over her thirty-year career.
