[SLP] Deputy and Assistant Heads Conference 2023

Justin Spanswick

BSc(Hons) PGCE NPQH

Justin has worked for 25 years in schools, with 15 years as a senior leader. His roles include Headteacher at Junior level where he led significant change in the academic curriculum, Deputy Headteacher (pastoral) at Secondary level, and he has just finished his fourth year as an Executive Headteacher. Justin specialises in all safeguarding matters, school leadership, and compliance. He also works with his local authority chairing their Quality and Effectiveness of Safeguarding boards, and he consults for a national safeguarding scrutineer group. Having worked as both a Compliance and Team Inspector, Justin is now a Reporting Inspector for ISI.

Karen Barker

Karen is an education consultant, providing diagnostic assessments (dyslexia and dyscalculia and, in addition for adults, dyspraxia); Johansen IAS sound therapy; SEND consultancy for schools and workplace needs assessments.      

Karen trained as a secondary science teacher, but her 30-year career in schools also took her into primary education, A-Level psychology teaching and special education. When Deputy Head & SENDCo, responsible for Learning Enhancement and Development, her school won the ISA Award for Outstanding Provision for Learning Support.

As a specialist teacher assessor, who holds a diagnostic Assessment Practising Certificate, Karen has extensive experience in assessment and data interpretation. Karen was commissioned by CEM (now Cambridge Insight) to create cross-disciplinary resources for teachers and exam board staff in five KS4 & 5 subject areas to support interpretation of MidYIS, Yellis and ALIS data. As a consultant, she provides professional development and training to teachers and support staff on an extensive range of SEND topics; effective strategies for supporting students with SEND; and enables teachers to understand how to interpret data effectively to improve their professional practice and student outcomes.

www.kmbarker-education-consultancy.co.uk

Nicola Griffiths

MA (Oxon) PGCE (Oxon) NPQH

Nicola is currently Principal at a GSA school in Essex and previously was a Deputy and Acting Head in a top performing school in Suffolk. She has always had a passion for all girls’ education, particularly in STEM and has championed this from early on her career when she was Head of Biology and Science at boarding schools in Oxfordshire and Kent where she significantly raised the academic profile of her departments. As a Senior Leader, Nicola has led successful change management in preparation for both compliance and full ISI inspections, securing strong outcomes for her schools. This has involved raising academic standards, employing distributed leadership practices and developing strong links with governors.

Mike Crossley

Mike was a Head for 14 years whilst gaining senior management experience in several leading prep schools spanning 25 years. He is a highly qualified executive coach and mentor, and an experienced trainer and speaker. 

Whilst being a qualified Mental Health First Aid Instructor, DSL and Senior Mental Health Lead himself, his previous school also attained the Wellbeing Award for Schools which recognises and celebrates the importance of pupil and staff welfare. He now assesses and advises for the WAS.