Advisory Group

Bernard Clarke

Director, Generate Teaching School Hub, Evelyn Street Primary School, Warrington

Simon Little

Managing Director, Best Practice Network

Jen Murphy

Director, Rainbow Teaching School Hub, Liverpool

Sufian Sadiq

Director, Chiltern Teaching School Hub, Denbigh High School, Luton

Chris Ludlow

Head of Partnerships, Best Practice Network

"Believe in the power of dreams"

Andrew Earnshaw

Director for Training, Leadership and CPD, Aspire Academy Trust, St Austell

Laura Saunders

Lead Facilitator for Specialist NPQs

With significant experience and expertise in leadership and education, Laura offers high-level skills in facilitation, learning design and coaching to empower the educators and leaders she works with. Her detailed and insightful understanding of the education and arts and culture sectors means she offers creative, energetic and impassioned knowledge to support educators in navigating through and leading our changing climate.
Laura is an experienced senior leader in schools, Local Authority, regional and national strategic education partnerships, school governing bodies, educational research and evaluation, apprenticeships, commercial learning and development and National Professional Qualifications (NPQs).
She utilises her knowledge and experience in change leadership, creativity, people leadership, emotional intelligence and evidence-based teaching and learning to empower individuals and organisations. With an MA in Leading Innovation and Change in education, Senior Coaching Practitioner accreditation (EMCC), and accreditation in leading and delivering the National Professional Qualifications for specialism and leadership in the UK, she is also an international trainer working with the education and commercial sectors globally.
Laura is responsible for leading and overseeing the specialist NPQs programmes for Best Practice Network and the Outstanding Leaders Partnership, as well as the learning design and face-to-face facilitation of the programmes.

Clare Oberman

Director, The Golden Thread Teaching School Hub, Painsley Catholic College, Stoke-on-Trent

Ruth Shaw

Strategic Lead for AB and ECF STEP; Assistant Headteacher, The Priory School, Shrewsbury

Yvonne Gandy

Programme Director, Leadership qualifications

Yvonne is a leadership coach, National College associate, lead facilitator, assessor and mentor who is involved in strategic work with schools, local authorities and national agencies to support improvement in the quality of the education workforce.

She leads a number of national programmes that impact upon the quality of leadership, learning and teaching and contribute to school improvement and adult learning.

Kelly McKay

Director, Early Career Framework, Best Practice Network

Nick Parry

Director of Teaching, Learning & Leadership, The Dean Trust at Ashton on Mersey School

Nick has taught for 25 years and over the last 10 years he has predominantly focused on staff training and supporting school leaders across the country to develop their teachers and support staff.

As director of Ashton on Mersey Teaching School he was commissioned by the NCTL to produce the Specialist Leaders of Education (SLE) Core Training, which has become a pivotal part of the SLE accreditation process.

Nick is responsible for the training and ‘quality improvement’ of face-to-face facilitators who deliver NPQML and NPQSL and for the quality assurance of schools that are licensed to deliver these programmes.

Karen Taylor-Paul

Director, Alban Teaching School Hub, Sandringham School, St Albans

Ed Leighton

Director, Cheshire Teaching School Hub, St Joseph’s College, Stoke-on-Trent

Nick Mort

Director, Futures Teaching Alliance, President Kennedy School, Coventry

Stephanie Rogers

Principal, Astra Teaching School Hub, Dr Challoner’s Grammar School, Amersham

Samantha Torr

Director, Alpha Teaching School Hub, Colchester