National Leaders of Education

Sarah Collymore has worked in education for the last fifteen years. She has worked in the North East of England and in South London. Sarah has taught in all phases of primary education and has worked as a Deputy Head, Head of School and Headteacher. Her current school is rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted and is a training centre for Talk4Writing and Sounds-Write Phonics. It provides school improvement training to schools across the UK.

Since the school was designated as a National Support School in 2010, Sarah has been deployed to other schools locally and further afield, supporting schools to move from inadequate/RI to good. Sarah's school is one of the most deprived in South London with FSM over 50% and EAL over 60%. Sarah is rooted in teaching and learning and is determined to provide the best possible education and school experience for all of her pupils. Sarah believes that primary schools are at their most effective when there is a clear, simple vision for teaching and learning which is well led and communicated by leaders at all levels. She is passionate about transforming the lives of young people through education.

Janet Hilary is the CEO of Floreat Education Academies Trust. She has been a headteacher for twenty years and has led two Inner London schools to Ofsted Outstanding. She is passionate about school improvement and developing learning-focused school leadership. She has supported schools across the UK and is working increasingly with multi-academy trusts, strengthening system leadership across groups of schools.

Janet has been an Ofsted inspector in the past and a Chartered Urban Leader. She is an accredited executive coach. Janet acted as an expert member of the DfE's Keeble Review into Primary School Effectiveness which was published in November 2016. She spent time in Lowa in the Autumn 2016, driving rapid school improvement in five elementary schools. Janet is a popular public speaker and enjoys giving keynote addresses at conferences and other training events.

Mark is the headteacher of Chesterton Primary School in Wandsworth and the director of Wandle Teaching School Alliance. Before embarking on headship in 2009, Mark worked as a Primary teacher for over 10 years. He is an NLE and is a trained Ofsted inspector.

Chesterton Primary School is a multi-cultural, inner city school in a disadvantaged area of Battersea where a high proportion of students receive free school meals. Judged outstanding in 2008, it has also recently been awarded the gold status by the IOE for its work on professional and leadership development and research and development. Under Mark’s leadership Chesterton became a Teaching School and, working as the strategic lead with Chestnut Grove Academy in Wandsworth, it has supported a large number of schools and departments through school-to-school support work and professional development opportunities.

Mark offers expertise and support in building reciprocal partnerships to enhance professional development and student learning. Together with another teaching school in Wandsworth, Chesterton is working as a Maths Hub - designed to build on excellent practice in Maths and aiming to increase the results in schools across London and the UK.