The support we received from Gordon towards the appointment of a new Headteacher at the school has been invaluable. Gordon set out a very clear plan, with timeline, for the Governors on how the process should be conducted and was available to advise on every step of the journey. Gordon was able to support at short notice with related issues where his advice and experience enabled the Governing Body to reach a successful outcome. The service that Gordon offered allowed the process to run smoothly, taking out any stress for Governors in the lead up to the interview day. The process that had been outlined had been fully discussed with us and agreed before Gordon went away to work out the detail, logistics and practicalities so that Governors could just arrive on the day and immerse themselves in achieving the objective at hand. The process was robust, fair and appropriately challenging for the post that it applied to. We have greater confidence in our work for having used Education Leadership as the consultants and particularly Gordon, for his unwavering commitment and attention to detail throughout the process.

Lyla Dey – Chair of Governors – The Hayes Primary School

Thanks to Gordon for the excellent support provided to me and our trustees in making a very successful CEO appointment. I particularly appreciated your professional insight, your knowledge of the challenges and requirements of the role in question, and your attention to detail which was a strength throughout the process. Our trustees were grateful for the quality of your communication, documentation, and the planning of timeline and tasks, as well as your helpful facilitation. All of this allowed us, as trustees, to focus on making a successful appointment.

Roseanne Ellis – Chair – Fairchildes Academy Community Trust

Feedback following Strategy Day with Governors:

Usefulness of the Day          4.8 / 5

“Very well facilitated.”

“The purpose of the day was clear beforehand and throughout. Plenty of opportunity to consolidate what we know and where we are now and, from that point, explore where we want to go and what to investigate.”

“Thank you.”

My school enlisted the support of Education Leadership in preparing for an ambitious Governor Strategy event where the focus was on exploring the future direction of the organisation and potential areas of growth.    Gordon worked closely with me as we went through the various stage of preparation to create a highly successful day.    As a hospital school, we are a highly specialised sector, and Gordon was able to quickly gain a very clear understanding of our unique context.    His advice and guidance along the way was much appreciated and the governors were able to really focus on what makes our school outstanding and what we might do next to benefit children and young people of the future.    As a facilitator, Gordon was highly skilled in giving us space to discuss what was needed, whilst always keeping us on track towards several end goals.   The strategy day materials Gordon created were also key in the success of the event.   I look forward to working with Education Leadership again in the future.

Maarten Crommelin – Headteacher – Maudsley & Bethlem Hospital School

Feedback following Strategy Day with Governors and SLT:

Usefulness of the day          4.5/5

“Outstandingly thought-provoking”

“Truly felt infused with passion and drive”

“Excellent explanation of all areas”

“An extremely useful day”

Gordon’s outstanding support has helped us in our journey of school improvement; this has been truly invaluable, challenging me to think deeply about the hard questions that are essential to creating positive change and the right conditions for learning. He is knowledgeable, professional, and empathetic to the unique needs of our school. He has demonstrated an impressive ability to engage and communicate with all members of our community, including students, parents and staff. He has been particularly skilled in providing constructive feedback that has enabled us to reflect on our practice and make meaningful improvements. Thanks to this support, our school has been able to identify and prioritise areas for improvement, develop strategies to address these areas, and measure our progress over time. Our school has benefited tremendously from this collaborative and rigorous approach to improvement, and I am confident that we will continue to see positive results in the years to come.

Overall, I cannot speak highly enough of the exceptional support I have received. The impact it has had on our school community is immeasurable, and I would wholeheartedly recommend this service to any school seeking to improve their practice and achieve their goals.

Kirstie Woodcock – Principal – Woodcote High School

I have greatly valued Gordon’s experience and knowledge as he has supported our trust development and the performance management of our Co-CEOs.  He is skilled at appropriately challenging our thinking and suggesting ways forward.  He is highly professional and thoughtful in his advice and guidance, both to trustees and executive colleagues.

Sian Mathias – Chair of Trustees – Wandle Learning Trust

Gordon has provided exceptional support to the Governing Body in our work to appoint our new Headteacher. His preparation of marketing content, liaison with stakeholders, engagement with potential candidates and preparation of selection tasks and materials were all first-rate. This was underpinned by his vast leadership experience that helped to provide an outstanding level of support and guidance to the Governing Body.

Hiten Savla – Chair of Governors – Woodcote High School