Past Event

Russ Atkinson

Principal, Duke’s Secondary School

Russ Atkinson is Principal of Duke's Secondary School, which is a fully inclusive community school in Ashington, Northumberland. Russ is passionate about ensuring that all students regardless of background have the opportunity to be successful both in school and later in life. Russ has worked at a number of schools in the North East over his 15 year career, most of which serve communities with a high percentage of pupil premium students.

Andy Byers

Headteacher, Framwellgate School Durham

Andy Byers spent three years as a chartered accountant in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne before becoming a teacher of Economics in Northumberland in 1992.  He was a Head of Department and senior leader in Blyth before spending 14 years at Queen Elizabeth High School in Hexham, first as Deputy Head and for 5 years as Head of School. He has been Headteacher of Framwellgate School Durham since 2017 and tweets as @framheadteacher. Andy is on the advisory board of Schools North-East, a visiting fellow at Ambition Institute, and is a member of the Association of Education Advisors.

Zoe Carr OBE

Chief Executive Officer of WISE Academies Multi-Academy Trust

Zoe is employed as the Chief Executive Officer of WISE Academies Multi-Academy Trust in the North East of England.  She has held this position since 2013. The Trust works predominantly in areas of high deprivation across four Local Authority Areas and currently consists of 13 academies who serve primary age pupils, one of which is a specialist provision for pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. 

Zoe qualified as a primary school teacher in 1995 and went on to become an Advanced Skills Teacher in 2002. This position afforded me the opportunity to demonstrate excellent teaching across the Local Authority in which she was employed. The last 18 years have been spent in school leadership. She gained NLE status in 2016 and was honoured in the 2018 New Year’s Honours list for Services to Education.

Until recently Zoe was an elected member of the Regional School Commissioner’s Advisory Board for the North, serving two terms of office for a period of 8 years. She qualified as an Ofsted Inspector in 2017 and continues to serve in this role. Zoe became a Trustee of Schools North East in 2021. 

Rob Coe

Director of Research and Development at Evidence Based Education and Senior Associate at the Education Endowment Foundation

Rob was previously Professor of Education and Director of the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) at Durham University, and before that a secondary mathematics teacher.

Rob has contributed to a number of influential reports, including EBE’s Great Teaching Toolkit: Evidence Review, the Sutton Trust’s What Makes Great Teaching?, the Education Endowment Foundation’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit, and the Teacher Development Trust’s Developing Great Teaching. He is a member of advisory groups for a wide range of educational organisations.

Nick Conway

Senior School Improvement Lead, Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust & Mary Tate, Executive Leader, Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust

Nick Conway is the Senior School Improvement Lead for Primary for Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust and Mary Tate is an Executive Leader at Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust. Both have extensive experience transforming schools in challenging circumstances and leading some of the highest performing primary schools across the North East.

For the last three years they have been project leaders of the DfE funded Transition project in their Trusts. This exciting project has mapped the curriculum in Geography, History, Languages and Science from EYFS to KS3+. It has been extraordinarily successful. It has been externally evaluated by Ofsted in recent inspections as a 'triumph' and 'already having an impact.' The project is based upon rigorous threshold concepts, is reading, and writing rich and has a clear sequential approach to knowledge and skills progression.

Lee Elliot Major OBE FAcSS

Professor of Social Mobility, University of Exeter

Lee Elliot Major is Britain’s first Professor of Social Mobility, based at the University of Exeter. He was previously Chief Executive of the Sutton Trust and a trustee of the Education Endowment Foundation.

His work is dedicated to improving the prospects of disadvantaged children and young people. He works closely with school leaders, universities, and employers. Lee is one of the most prominent public voices in national education debates and regularly advises the Government on social mobility.

His award winning Bloomsbury book What Works?, provides evidence-informed tips for teachers to improve learning and followed on from his work to produce the first Sutton Trust-EEF teaching and learning toolkit. His latest book, The Good Parent Educator, aims to empower parents to improve the education of their children.

He is a Trustee of the Ted Wragg Multi Academy Trust and a governor at William Ellis school.

He was awarded an OBE in the 2019 Queen’s Honours. He is the first in his family to go to university.

Sam Freedman

Senior Advisor, Ark Schools

“Sam is a senior adviser to Ark Schools, one of the largest academy trusts, and a senior fellow at the Institute for Government. He writes extensively about politics and policy including for Prospect, New Statesman, Times Education Supplement, and others. Previously he was a senior policy adviser to Michael Gove at the Department for Education from 2010-2013; an executive director at the charity Teach First; and CEO of an international development charity working in sub-Saharan Africa.”

Paul Green

Head of Opportunity North East

Paul is the Head of the Opportunity North East programme at the Department for Education. He originally trained as a maths teacher and taught in the North East and Eritrea. Before joining the department, Paul worked for several education charities including Teach First and One World Network North East.

Jo Heaton OBE

OBE, CEO, Northern Lights Learning Trust

Jo is CEO of Northern Lights Multi Academy Trust, a primary and secondary Trust of over 4000 pupils across Wearside and Teesside. Northern Lights is also a Dfe Teaching School Hub and Dfe Early Years Hub for the North East. She has been a member of various DfE advisory groups, including the Expert Advisory Group for Recruitment & Retention and the Headteacher Reference Group. She has a history of supporting schools with school improvement support both as a Headteacher and a National Leader of Education.

Jo is passionate about education and the North East and is proud of our region, the impact and influence we can have when we work collaboratively together and receiving an OBE in 2020 for Services to Education in the North East.  Jo is a Trustee for Schools North East, Ambition Institute and a range of organisations in the system.  She is committed to collaborative working to tackle issues and strengthen education and truly believes we are stronger together.

Stella Jones

Director of Teaching & Learning, Wise Academies Multi-Academies Trust

Stella has a broad range of teaching and leadership experiences across a number of primary schools throughout the full range of OFSTED categories from Outstanding to Special Measures. Liverpool, Nottingham, London and the North East.

She regularly designs and delivers tailored evidence informed Professional Development opportunities for a range of delegates including governors, school leaders, teachers and LEA advisors.

She has designed, implemented and monitored a wide variety of evidence-informed school and trust wide initiatives. Stella also works closely with the Research School Network and the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to provide high quality, research-informed PD and support for practitioners across the North East. She is skilled at making educational research tangible, accessible and implementable.

Stella has responsibility for monitoring and supporting across 13 schools in order to evaluate and improve the quality of teaching and learning and raise outcomes. She has designed and implemented a bespoke primary curriculum.

Stella is passionate and committed to driving school improvement through workforce development.  Facilitating collaboration through school networks and communities of practice to share evidence-based practices and processes.

Stella has a passion for continuously furthering her own pedagogy and professional development.

Stella received  a Specialist Leader in Education accreditation in April 2018.

Christina Jones

CEO, River Tees Multi-Academy Trust

River Tees Multi-Academy Trust’s  team work with learners who struggle to attend school,  to engage appropriately while there, have additional needs or who have been permanently excluded. As CEO of an Alternative Provision and Special School Multi-Academy Trust based in the North East of England Christina sees the impact challenging behaviour, special educational needs and mental health have on educational opportunities. Christina has a background in school improvement, focussing on disadvantaged and vulnerable learners. A qualified SENCO, specialist teacher and SEND Reviewer, she is Chair of Schools North East’s SEND and AP group.

Laura McInerney

Education Journalist and Co-founder of Teacher Tapp

Laura started her career in east London comprehensives and taught for six years before being taken to court by Michael Gove for asking a difficult question about free schools. (She won, eventually). 

Following this, Laura became a journalist, writing a monthly column in The Guardian and editing Schools Week, where her team won national awards for their hard-hitting scoops. 

She is now the co-founder of Teacher Tapp, an app revealing previously unknown insights about teachers’ lives.

Natalie Perera

Chief Executive of the Education Policy Institute

Natalie is the Chief Executive of the Education Policy Institute, an independent research institute which she co-founded in 2016.

Prior to that, Natalie worked in the Department for Education where she led on research and policy interventions including on narrowing the gap between disadvantaged children and the rest and reform of the school funding system. Between 2014 and 2015, Natalie was seconded to the Cabinet Office where she worked in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office.

Natalie is also a Director of a Multi-Academy Trust in South London and a Trustee of the charities, The Fair Education Alliance and Causeway Education.

Lesley Powell

CEO, North East Learning Trust (NELT)

Lesley Powell CBE is Chief Executive Officer at the North East Learning Trust (NELT). With four primary schools, seven secondaries, an outstanding SCITT, a Research School and a Teaching School Hub, NELT is one of the largest and most successful trusts in the North East. 

Lesley has been a teacher since 1988 and is passionate about ensuring that all children have an equal chance in life, particularly those from disadvantaged areas. She was appointed to her first headship at The Academy at Shotton Hall in 2009, leading the school to two consecutive outstanding judgments from Ofsted and has worked with many other schools across the north as a National Leader of Education. 

Lesley is a member on many boards and advisory groups including: The Regional Head Teacher Board, National Secondary Heads Reference Group, Opportunity North East Sub-Board, National Ofsted Inspector Reference Group, Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy, Head Teacher Standards Review Group, and the NPQ Expert Advisory Group.

Through Lesley’s leadership, NELT has forged a reputation for delivering rapid improvement in its sponsor schools with notable examples including Teesdale School which moved from Grade 3 to Grade 1 and Browney Academy where improved performance increased pupil numbers from 74 to 160.  

Lesley was awarded CBE in 2017 for services to education.

Dame Maura Regan DBE, OBE, DL

Chief Executive Officer, Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust (formerly Carmel Education Trust)

Maura was made a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2021 in recognition of her outstanding leadership and service to education in the region and nationally.

Maura began her teaching career in London teaching History and RE, she returned to the North East to take a pastoral role before becoming Deputy Head Pastoral and subsequently Principal of Carmel College.

Maura, as the architect of Carmel Education Trust, became its founding CEO having led the successful transformation of Carmel College from a single outstanding College to the lead school in a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT).  The Trust is recognised as a leading organisation nationally.  The Trust is now known as Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust comprising 28 schools both primary and secondary.  It will become a Trust of 35 schools by 2022.  All schools in the Bishop Hogarth CET have been rated as good or better on inspection after joining the Trust.

In her role as an NLE, Maura and her Leadership Team have supported schools across the region from all phases.

Carmel College is one of the top performing schools nationally and is a Teaching School, a Maths Hub, leads a Science Learning Partnership and most recently has been designated a Research School.  Carmel College has a long history of Initial Teacher Training and is now one of the largest providers in the North East.

Maura has been highly pro-active in supporting NETSP (North East Teaching Schools Partnership) in the delivery of NPQH, NPQSL and NPQML and a National College programme ‘Women into Headship’.  Maura is regularly invited to be a keynote speaker for the National College NLE Induction Programme.

She is a Trustee of Schools North East, Director of Emmanuel Trust and a Governor of Durham School.

Maura is regularly invited to address national audiences on the benefits and complexities of establishing and leading a Multi-Academy Trust in accordance with the principles of subsidiarity, solidarity and support for the common good.  She is passionate about making a difference and believes that ‘every child should be given every opportunity to succeed’.

Maura is a member of the National Advisory Group with reference to the published Recruitment & Retention Strategy document. She is a member of the sub-group working with the DfE on the Opportunity North East Programme established by the Secretary of State.

She has championed the Just Change Campaign on behalf of Citizens UK (Tyne & Wear Division).  This campaign is to ensure that free school meal children receive their full entitlement.

Carmel College has recently become a Flexible Working Ambassador School as Maura believes that flexible and agile working together with a strong programme of CPD is key in developing and promoting a highly skilled and enthusiastic workforce.

Liam Roberts

CEO, Edwin Group

As CEO of The Edwin Group, Liam Roberts leads a large team of like-minded education professionals who work together to improve the lives of young people by offering a refreshing approach to education services.

The Edwin Group is made up of several businesses across the country, working together to provide staffing, safeguarding and curriculum support solutions to schools, teachers, leaders, and caregivers. 

Born and raised in County Durham, and a graduate of Durham University, Liam is a very proud and long-standing supporter of Schools North East.

John Hardy OBE

Head Teacher of St John Vianney Primary School

John is Head Teacher of St John Vianney Primary School in Hartlepool. John has been involved with Schools North East since it began and has been a huge asset to it in a variety of different capacities.  He initially served on the Head Teacher Advisory Board, representing his colleagues in Hartlepool primary schools, before being elected a Trustee by our Partner Schools in recognition of his commitment to the charity. He then served as Chair of Schools North East for nearly a decade.  John was also Chair of the All North Teaching Schools, and sat on the National Teaching Schools Council.  

John’s commitment to children, education, and the North East’s teaching community was recognised with the award of an OBE for services to education in 2021. A well deserved honour he responded to with typical modesty, saying ‘there are so many people who are much more deserving’.

Chris Zarraga

Director, Schools North East

Chris has been part of the Schools North East team since its inception in 2007 and in 2019 he was appointed Director.

Chris works with other leaders across the North East, the education sector and charity sector to represent the voice of North East schools, and lobby policy makers to ensure that the North East is not left behind when it comes to education policy. Chris has overseen the launch of the Ednorth evidence-based excellence programme, as well as the partnership with SHINE bringing over £500,000 worth of funding to North East schools.

Under Chris, Schools North East has moved to a greater focus on lobbying around education policy, with the launch of the Manifesto for North East Education in December 2019. As well as being a trustee of a local MAT, Chris sits on various boards including the board for Opportunity North East. Prior to joining Schools North East, Chris worked with over 165 schools in the North East and various education organisations including local authorities, Excellence Partnerships, 14-19 Groups, the Specialist Schools & Academies Trust, and School Improvement Officers. He led a large scale culture change project in education across the North East and was the development consultant for the LEGI funded Wansbeck Enterprise Education Network.