Meet our people

FED Council Member: Mark is a former school leader with more than twenty years of experience in the classroom, leading successful faculty departments, being a local authority lead teacher for my subject and I am responsible for some of the world’s most innovative 1:1 programmes. My mission has always been to

FED Council Member: Deborah trained as an employment lawyer becoming a partner in the City in 1998. In May 2008, she became Chief Executive at the Incorporated Society of Musicians, the UK’s professional body for musicians. Set up in 1882, the ISM has almost 11,000 members covering every aspect of

FED Council Member: Professor Anne Bamford OBE is Strategic Director of the Education and Skills for the City of London. Anne has been recognized internationally for her research in creativity, lifelong learning and technology. She instigated the term, ‘fusion skills’ to describe the competencies needed for flourishing now and into

FED Council Member: Jim is the CEO and Founder of Future Talent Group, an e-learning business that delivers immersive digital learning programmed with virtual events, simulations and multimedia content to upskill employees in large organisations around the world with more highly evolved human and interpersonal skills. Future Talent conferences, events

FED Council Member: Mike Buchanan is the Executive Director of HMC, the English-speaking world’s oldest association of Head Teachers. From 2005-2018 he was Head of Ashford School, part of United Learning, where he oversaw its transformation from a small girls’ school to a thriving all-age, co-educational day/boarding, independent school of

FED Council Member: Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO, CBE is a passionate and practical campaigner who has gained an international reputation for ‘connecting the unconnected’, inspiring individuals and organisations to work together for the common good in the most challenged communities. During her tenure as Chief Executive of Business in the Community

FED Council Member: Sir Mick Davis is currently Chairman of MacSteel, a global trading and shipping company, and was Chief Executive of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom, but has since stepped down from this position. He stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of Xstrata plc in 2013, one

FED Council Member: Jonathan Douglas CBE is Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust. Previously he was Head of Policy Development at the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, where he also worked as Head of Learning and Access. Prior to that, he was Professional Adviser for Youth and School Libraries

FED Council Member: Paul is Chairman of London First, London’s premier business organisation. He is also a board member of Greencore Plc, the International Chamber of Commerce ICC (UK), Chancellor of Teesside University, a member of the Global Advisory Board of Trinity College Dublin and a member of the Advisory

FED Council Member: Vivienne began her career in 1983 at Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls. Thereafter, she worked at Godolphin and Latymer School for Girls and Guildford High School before becoming Deputy Head of South Hampstead High School GDST in 1997. She served as an accredited ISI Schools Inspector from

FED Council Member: Kirstie Donnelly MBE is Chief Executive at the City & Guilds Group, prior to this role she was the Group Managing Director for City & Guilds, ILM and DigitalMe brands operating globally. Kirstie joined City & Guilds Group in 2011 and has worked at the forefront of

FED Council Member: Dr Karen Edge is currently a Reader in Educational Leadership at UCL Institute of Education and recently served as Pro-Vice Provost (International) at University College London, UK. Karen has conducted research in over 30 countries and has recently completed a 6-jurisdiction study of teacher motivation and retention. Karen’s Global City Leaders Project worked with Generation X (under 40-year-old)

FED Council Member: Jason Elsom’s early career centred around internet innovation – leading some of the most progressive early ‘dotcoms’ – before turning his heart to education, becoming a teacher, Head of Faculty in Secondary Schools, Senior Leader in Further Education, and Education Consultant. Jason has acted as a critical

FED Council Member: Dr Adam England. I have been a headteacher or principal since 2004, serving in the UK and internationally. Originally a languages and sports teacher, I was dragged kicking and screaming into educational leadership and have been doing my best to do justice for the young people of

FED Council Member: Craig Fenton is a business leader and entrepreneur who has worked in the technology industry for 20 years.  He leads Strategy & Operations for Google in UK and Ireland, is an investor in and mentor of several start ups, and founded his own record label to give

FED Council Member: Sam is the CEO of Education Partnerships Group (EPG) a charity that works with Government’s around the world to improve education systems. Previously he was Executive Director at Teach First, responsible for the largest teacher training programme in the UK. From 2010-2013 Sam was the senior policy

FED Council member: David Gallagher is Chief Executive Officer at NCFE, a leading educational charity, with business operations in Awarding, Assessment and Learning Technologies and Resources. David initially joined NCFE in 2018 as Managing Director of NCFE EPA Plus, leading a new team to deliver End-Point Assessment for apprenticeships. NCFE

FED Council Member: Professor Philip Garner works at Brunel University London, UK. He taught in mainstream and specialist schools for nearly 20 years. Subsequently he joined the staff of the West London Institute prior to its incorporation within Brunel University. Philip has previously held Chairs in Education at Nottingham Trent

FED Council Member: Nigel is the Church of England’s Chief Education Officer and leads the work of the Church of England Education Office, which serves the church’s ministry with children and young people in churches, schools, colleges and universities. The Church of England provides 4,700 schools educating over a million

FED Council Member: Dr Clare Gerada MBE  has more than 35 years experience practising medicine, and has been a driving force behind efforts to provide more wellbeing support for NHS staff. She is the first female Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in 50 years. She has

FED Council Member: David Gregson is Chairman of The Gregson Family Foundation; an Executive Committee Member of The Institute for Fiscal Studies; a Trustee of Pro Bono Economics and The Windsor Leadership Trust; an advisor to both the Sutton Trust, which seeks to improve social mobility through education, and the

FED Council Member: Hugh Greenway is CEO of the Elliot Foundation which, over the last nine years, he has grown from concept to one of the more successful primary trusts in the country with over 11,000 children and 2,000 staff in 28 schools. Over the same period, he has helped

FED Council Member: David is an entrepreneur and the CEO of the award-winning education company 8billionideas which exists to give every student the skills and belief to change the world. Since its formation, 8billionideas has worked with over 100,000 students around the world in 500 schools. 8billionideas has strategic partnerships in every

FED Council Member: Claudia Harris OBE is the CEO of Makers, an innovative coding provider that helps mid-careers switchers to retrain as software engineers in 16 weeks. Prior roles include setting up The Careers & Enterprise Company as its founding Chief Executive, working for the management consultancy firm McKinsey &

FED Council Member: Zamzam is the President of the National Union of Students (NUS) where she is elected to represent the views of learners across the UK. Along with student leaders in Students’ Unions across the country Zamzam works every day to campaign toward a free and funded education system. Prior to

FED Council Member: David Jaffa founded SAM Learning, an online learning tool for GCSE and KS3 used in hundreds of secondary schools in the UK, and founded Penda Learning, an online Science and Math tool for US schools that was sold in 2019. David Jaffa currently works as CEO/Founder of

FED Council Member: Joysy John is the CEO of 01 Founders, tuition-free coding centres with a job-guarantee to improve diversity in tech. She is also an entrepreneur, Edtech advisor and global speaker. She is the former Director of Education at Nesta, an innovation foundation in the UK, where she was responsible

FED Council Member: Al Kingsley has over 30 years’ experience in the technology sector predominantly with his work on educational technology and digital safeguarding. For the last 25 years Al has been the Group Managing Director of NetSupport, an international software company developing market-leading software solutions used by over 18

FED Council Member: Chief Executive of the National Governance Association (NGA) – the leading charity for guidance, research, advice and training for school governors and trustees. Prior to her appointment in 2010 she was joint CEO of the Daycare Trust. Before that, she worked in a number of roles in the

FED Council Member: Richard Merriman began his career in 1981 at Geoffrey Chaucer School, Canterbury, a State, Bi-Lateral senior school, before transferring into the Independent Sector, at Clayesmore School. A further move to Kimbolton School as Director of Sport culminated in 1997 when he took on the first of his

FED Council Member: Estelle Morris, Baroness Morris of Yardley, is the Chair of the Birmingham Education Partnership. Estelle started her career in education as a teacher in an inner city multiracial comprehensive school where she taught for 18 years. In 1992, she entered Parliament, becoming the Secretary of State for

FED Council Member: Professor Steve Munby is a consultant and speaker on leadership and system reform in education. Between 2005 and 2012, Steve was Chief Executive of the National College for School Leadership in England. From 2012 to 2017, he was Chief Executive of the Education Development Trust, an international

FED Council Member. Wayne Norrie is a qualified teacher with 20 years of senior management experience in the education sector holding roles such as Headship, LA Advisory Work, DfE consultant and Senior HMI for Ofsted. Wayne was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Greenwood Academies Trust (GAT) in

FED Council Member: Lamide Odanye is the co-founder of LIVE (Learn, Inspire, Visualise, Elevate), a mentoring programme for students in Years 8-13 from low socioeconomic backgrounds. LIVE focuses on teaching young people soft transferable skills required for the professional environment and has the long term aim of reducing the rate

FED Council Member: Ndidi Okezie is the CEO of UK Youth; a leading charity with a movement of over 5,500 youth organisations, reaching 1.6M young people. Prior to this, she worked as a teacher and school leader for ten years, spent six years as the Executive Director of Teach First,

FED Council Member: Roger Outwin-Flinders began his teaching career in 1981 at St. Martin’s Preparatory School, Northwood in London and after 12 years, at the age of 34 years old, he became Headmaster of Wycliffe College Junior School in Gloucestershire. During the next 27 years, he became Headmaster of 3

FED Council Member: Claire Paul MBE has thirty years’ experience working in the media. Most recently as the BBC’s Director of Leadership and Career Development, she started her career as a presenter and journalist, moving into management when she took on the editorship of two BBC Radio stations and then

FED Council Member: Kerry-Jane Packman is the Executive Director of Programmes, Membership and Charitable Services, who arrived at Parentkind in February 2018 from Tomorrow’s People where she was Director of Fundraising and Marketing.  Prior to that Kerry-Jane worked as Director of Resource Development & Communications for International Medical Corps UK.

FED Council Member: Raksha Pattni is the National Partnerships Director at national education charity, Ambition Institute.  Ambition Institute is dedicated to transforming the lives of children in disadvantaged areas, by improving the standard of leadership and teaching across the UK school system. Previously to this, Raksha worked for a national

FED Council Member: Professor Dame Alison Peacock is Chief Executive of the Chartered College of Teaching, a new Professional Body that seeks to raise our status through celebrating, supporting and connecting teachers to provide expert teaching and leadership. Prior to joining the Chartered College, Dame Alison was Executive Headteacher of The Wroxham School in Hertfordshire.

FED Council Member: Laura-Jane Rawlings is CEO of Youth Employment. She is a passionate campaigner for youth employment and the rights for all young people to access employment and have their voices heard on the issues that affect them. Laura-Jane believes that it is for all of us to create

FED Council Member: Jonathan Slater was the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education from 2016-2020, serving Nicky Morgan, Justine Greening, Damian Hinds and Gavin Williamson. His career started in operational research, before Jonathan moved into local government, first at Newham and then 10 years in Islington, where he ended

FED Council Member: Annika Small is a social entrepreneur committed to the imaginative use of digital technologies to address big social challenges. As co-founder of CAST, Annika has supported hundreds of charities and social enterprises to embed digital in their strategy, services and culture. Prior to CAST, Annika was founding

FED Council Member: Professor Samantha Twiselton OBE is the Director of Sheffield Institute of Education at Sheffield Hallam University.  She uses her research and practice in the progression of teacher expertise, and curriculum design to improve school embedded approaches to teacher development. Sam has been heavily involved in influencing Government

FED Council Member: Carole Willis is Chief Executive of the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER).  NFER is an independent not for profit organisation dedicated to providing research and analysis to help improve outcomes for children and young people.    Carole was formerly Chief Analyst and Chief Scientific Adviser at the

FED Council Member: Lord Young of Graffham, long time entrepreneur, occasional politician. More than Interested in Enterprise, Employment, and making the education system fit for today.

FED Council Member: Bukky Yusuf is a Thought Leader with over twenty years teaching experience. She has undertaken several leadership roles within mainstream and special school settings, centring around professional development programmes, quality first teaching and learning and effective implementations of Educational Technology. Bukky has also been a successful Secondary