pecialist leaders of education (SLEs) are outstanding middle and senior leaders who have the skills to support individuals or teams in similar positions in other schools. Schools can read more information about SLEs here. If you are interested in becoming an SLE, read the eligibility criteria here and contact us if you would like to receive an application form. Meet our SLEs below.
EYFS Leader, Burley Oaks Primary School
I have been a teacher since 2009 and worked in a leadership position since 2015.My first leadership position as Phonics Co-ordinator was at Crossley Hall Primary School, then EYFS leader at Burley Oaks. I have transformed the EYFS setting in regards to the environment and united the team in a new way of thinking.
Early Years has always been my passion. We have to get it right, and lay the foundations for each and every child to succeed and become lifelong learners. I endeavour to go that extra mile and always strive for excellence. I create that ‘can do’ attitude and a culture of let’s have a go, take a risk. To do this, I believe we must inspire, challenge, support and engage all kinds of learners through the widest possible range of learning opportunities.
My areas of expertise include:
- raising standards in Phonics across Reception KS1, KS2
- development of NQTs and apprentices
- the improvement of teaching and learning across EYFS
- transforming the indoor and outdoor learning environments
EFYS and Key Stage 1 Leader, East Morton Primary Academy
My roles include EYFS and Key Stage One Leader and SLE for EYFS. I have taught in Reception for 12 years at East Morton CE Primary School and have led Early Years and Key Stage One since 2014. My role has allowed me to implement a change in pedagogy and develop my own setting so that it is engaging, purposeful and challenging.
I have provided CPD to staff in my own school and have supported Early Years leaders in other schools; my support has focused around assessment, classroom provision, phonics and planning. Much of my support in other schools has been centred around objective led provision that provides challenge and independence.
I have represented the LA as an EYFS moderator for five years and am experienced in working with others in a considerate, supportive and understanding environment. Alongside my EYFS role I am responsible for the assessment of foundation subjects, supporting other foundation subject leaders. I lead History, Geography and PHSE, including British Values/SMSC.
Assistant Headteacher, Hoyle Court Primary
I am the Assistant Headteacher at Hoyle Court Primary School in Baildon and lead on both maths and assessment. Since the introduction of the new curriculum, I have led changes in the way maths is taught across school ensuring all children reason and apply their mathematical knowledge to solve problems, which has therefore improved outcomes.
I have also implemented a successful assessment procedure to meet the demands of ‘life without levels’ and created a detailed tracking system suiting the needs of our school.
Assistant Headteacher, East Morton CE Academy
My current roles include Assistant Head Teacher, English Subject Leader, and Year 5 Class Teacher at East Morton CE Academy in Keighley.
I have experience in delivering school to school support in writing, where I worked with individual teachers, supported Subject Leaders and Senior Leaders to help them identify areas for improvement and implement change in these areas.
The move towards whole class reading lessons is another key area in which I have been involved in such support; after 4 years this approach is fully embedded within my school and is impacting favourably on pupil progress.
Through sharing our journey, approaches and priorities, I have been able to help other school leaders start their journey towards implementing this approach in their own settings.
Prior to leading English, I was Maths Subject Leader. During this time I was responsible for the implementation of a phased approach to the planning and teaching of Maths where opportunities for reasoning, fluency and problem solving were embedded throughout. In addition to this, Maths became a leading area in which our pupils were given enhanced opportunities to more fully develop their metacognitive awareness and resilience in learning; this remains an ongoing focus.
Monitoring, feedback, one to one support and whole staff training were key methods through which I was able to support staff and fully embed this approach, ensuring best outcomes for learners.
Assistant Headteacher, Baildon CE Primary
I am Assistant headteacher for teaching and learning and have been a Year 6 teacher at Baildon CE Primary School for 8 of the last 10 years. As well as leading the UKS2 phase, I am also is the head of Maths across the school.
Through leading maths, I have developed an extremely thorough understanding of outstanding teaching and learning and how to raise standards within my own school and have supported others in doing so - working alongside teachers and senior leaders to improve teaching and learning across the curriculum, with a focus on Maths. Since the introduction of the new curriculum, I have led changes in the way maths has been taught across school ensuring all children are taught based on their starting point and understanding of the topic. I have also been involved closely with developing and redesigning the schools tracking system to ensure it is a usable document which has a positive impact on outcomes.
In addition to this, during all my years in education, I have always fully immersed myself in all aspects of school life. I have a keen interest in sport in and out of school and I value the importance of extra-curricular activities as enrichment of a child’s education. I have always been totally committed to offering opportunities to all pupils being responsible for all the successful school sports’ teams throughout the school and understands the importance the link between sports and academic success. Another roles I have is being responsible for is leading Healthy Schools Week and the residential which take place each year.
Deputy Headteacher, Baildon CE Primary
I have been in this role for three years and within this time I was Head of School for one term. Prior to this I was Assistant Headteacher and Leader of Curriculum for one year. Although I do not have a teaching commitment this year, I have taught throughout Key Stage Two during my time at Baildon and I endeavour to spend as much time as possible in Key Stage One and Foundation Stage. I am currently in my sixth year working at Baildon, having previously taught mixed aged classes in a small, rural school in North Yorkshire for three years.
Since the government announced that primary schools would ‘Assess without Levels’ in 2014, I explored a variety of different options available to our school to measure children’s attainment and achievement. After collaborating with other Leaders of Assessment, I attended various courses and regularly liaised with subject leaders in our school, I developed highly effective Excel trackers to monitor individual children’s attainment and achievement throughout school including key groups (gender, term of birth, SEND and pupil premium). This was recognised and commented on in our most recent Bradford Primary Improvement Partnership (BPIP) Review. “Teachers’ use of assessment information to track pupils’ progress and understanding of pupils’ next steps is highly effective.” Since then, the trackers have constantly evolved as I endeavour to ensure they are as user-friendly and as relevant as possible.
By introducing a new format for data analysis, class teachers have been able to play a much more pivotal role in the assessment process and consequently take greater ownership of the children’s progress. Subsequently, class teachers are more aware of where children are in their learning, where they need to be and how best to get them there using effective target setting. The analysis of data has enabled me to make both Local Education Authority and national comparisons. As well as sharing these findings with our Governing Body, I have worked closely with the Headteacher to use this information to update and rewrite parts of the School Evaluation Form in order to create a more accurate picture of the school. A rigorous and thorough evaluation of this document enabled us to strategically plan to make necessary and realistic changes to the School Development Plan and prioritise accordingly.
I am driven and eager to make a difference and share my knowledge and expertise beyond the school I am employed in. I have successfully led school to school support to ensure that school’s:
- Assessments inform future planning
- Pupil progress meetings are robust
- Assessment timetables are appropriate
- Assessments are moderated
- Data is analysed and questions are raised
- Data can be presented to governors clearly and succinctly
Deputy Headteacher, Low Ash Primary School
I have been a teacher since 2004 and worked in a leadership position since 2007. In my first leadership position as English and KS1 leader, then KS2 leader at Baildon CE, I had success in raising standards in reading and writing across the school. While on the leadership team, the school moved from being judged as ‘Satisfactory’ by Ofsted to ‘Outstanding’.
My current role – a position I have held since 2010- is as Deputy Headteacher of Low Ash Primary, a large 2 form entry primary school, in Bradford. The school is rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted. (‘Satisfactory’ when I took up the position.)
My areas of expertise include:
- raising standards in English (I am also a KS2 writing moderator)
- development of NQTs and RQTs
- the improvement of teaching and learning
- curriculum development
- subject leader development
English Leader, Baildon Church of England Primary
Since September 2013, I have led the teaching of English across school, at Baildon Church of England Primary. My leadership has supported the school and staff in a time of change with the introduction of the New National Curriculum, which involved remodelling our approach to English, to inspire life-long readers and promote reading like a writer and writing like a reader.
My expertise and leadership is significantly enhanced by my teaching experiences across Key Stage two. By working in every year group including Year 6, this has enabled me to grasp a secure and firm understanding of the expectations, progress and achievement of the pupils and curriculum.
In recent years, my skills and role have developed, as I have been provided with the opportunity to work externally; in other local schools offering school to school support, to implement changes to their curriculum to aid school improvement and raise attainment. My experience has also stretched to further educational settings, conducting initial teacher training at Trinity and All Saints University and training SCITT trainees. In 2016-2017 I qualified as a KS2 writing moderator for the Bradford LEA and more recently qualified as a KS1 moderator for writing, reading and mathematics.
I have recently developed and delivered an exciting new pedagogy to the teaching of English at Baildon as well as in other local school within and outside the SIP. This pedagogy explores how the techniques used by the Royal Shakespeare Company can enhance the primary English curriculum across the key stages, developing new approaches to the teaching of reading and writing, with a particular focus on the inference and understanding of challenging texts and language. While, at the heart of the initiative, inspiring and exciting all children to learning through drama and developing a performing voice.
Deputy Headteacher, Inclusion Leader and Designated Safeguarding Lead, East Morton Primary Academy
SLE for Curriculum, Attendance and Behaviour, Initial Teacher Training and SEND
I am the Deputy Headteacher at East Morton CE Primary School with the responsibility for Inclusion comprising of SEND, Pupil Premium, attendance and behaviour as well as leading the school in the absence of the Headteacher.
Before my current role at East Morton, I worked for 12 years at Sandy Lane Primary starting out as an Early Years teacher. I became Early Years leader followed by KS1 phase leader and then latterly KS2 phase leader and Assistant Head. During my time as Assistant Head, I was instrumental in changing our approach to the curriculum and the use of subject leaders.
My teaching career to date has allowed me to experience teaching all year groups enabling me to see the challenges faced by different age phases. During my teaching career, I have successfully tutored and mentored several student teachers and NQTs. I have extensive experience of delivering training from SEND, child protection and Prevent, working with others in a challenging yet friendly and supportive manner.
Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion, Baildon CE Primary School
SLE for SEND
I have been SENCo since September 2008 and Assistant Head teacher for Inclusion since September 2011 at Baildon Church of England, an outstanding school since June 2010. My role has included taking the lead for SEND, Child Protection, Pupil Premium, Looked After Children and other vulnerable groups in school, creating and implementing school policies and action plans for these areas.
I have provided quality CPD for both teaching and support staff, to ensure they understand their children and they are equipped to provide the best provision to facilitate progress in learning. I have developed SEND systems within my own school, as well as taken a lead role in our SEND local partnership, where I have facilitated relevant training, arranged peer shadowing on a school to school basis and led focussed discussions on areas for development (assessment of SEND, developing the growing need for SEMH support and modelling good examples for completing referral and EHC plan requests).
This has led to further support, working with leaders of SEND in other schools 1:1, developing their understanding of SEND, their legal obligations regarding paperwork, as well as developing relationships with parents and other agencies.
Alongside the inclusion role, I have taught in Key Stage 1 for most of my teaching career and led as phase leader for the past 4 years. I support staff with their planning, delivery and assessment of the curriculum, CPD, as well as supporting pupil progress, attainment and achievement.
ITT Lead, All Saints’ Primary School Ilkley
I am the ITT lead for our Primary PGCE School Direct teacher training partnership. I work with school leaders, mentors and class teachers to ensure that we are delivering high-quality, bespoke training and CPD for our trainees. Our unique ITT route means that we deliver all the subject-knowledge and pedagogy training through the partnership which results in a course that best reflects the needs of the profession.
As an experienced teacher and leader, I am heavily involved in the design and delivery of the course to further strengthen the support available to our trainees. I am acutely aware of the shifting educational landscape and the significance of this for leaders, teachers and those yet to start teaching. I currently sit on the UCAS advisory board, working with other providers to establish best-practice principles for ITT nationally. Furthermore, I work with the Spanish Ministry of Education, on behalf of the DfE, supporting the recruitment and training of overseas nationals who are interested in teaching in England.
I have previously worked across a range of schools, encompassing various positions at senior leadership level, focusing on the design and delivery of learning and building capacity for innovation and change through collaboration.
Deputy Headteacher, Burley Woodhead Primary
I am Deputy Headteacher and Year 3 teacher at Burley Woodhead Primary School in Burley in Wharfedale. I am on the board of trustees of the Alive and Kicking Theatre Company and is also a member of the Storymakers Company at Leeds Beckett University.
I have a wide range of experience in using drama as a tool for teaching and learning. I am very interested in how a whole school approach can help teachers to develop their pedagogy around using drama to inspire children with their learning. Over the years I have been involved in action research projects with CAPE UK, Osiris Educational and most recently with the School of Education at Leeds Beckett University. I have delivered drama sessions to the Masters course on Drama and Creative Writing at Leeds Beckett University, as well as workshops to B’ed undergraduate students.
I have worked alongside teachers from different schools across Leeds. I have experience in helping them use drama to enable children to develop their writing and their engagement with wider social issues. I have written many different drama workshops catering for a whole range of year groups and have also created teaching resource packs to support the drama work delivered by the Alive and Kicking Theatre Company, including Granny's Underground Garden, Gawain and the Green Knight, the Princess Who Couldn't Play and the Museum of Untold Stories.
In addition to this, I have also successfully led on whole school initiatives such as implementing a Growth Mindset ethos to underpin teaching and learning, curriculum redesign and assessment procedures for the foundation subjects. I also run an ongoing TA training program at my school to ensure that these valuable members of the school community receive regular CPLD to maximise the impact of their work inside the classroom.
In 2018, I am excited about helping staff to inspire the children at Burley Woodhead by creating meaningful contexts for learning. I am also looking forward to developing my role as a Specialist Leader in Education for the Eden CE TSA.