Visiting Fellow Community
The role of Expert Facilitator or Visiting Fellow is a recognition of some of the leading expert teachers and leaders in their field. These colleagues possess the expertise and capacity to support their peers within and beyond their own school.
ECT Expert Facilitators
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Tanya GrundyECT Expert Facilitator
Tanya Grundy
Tanya Grundy has over 20 years' experience as Head of Faculty and Lead Practitioner. For six of those years, she also taught drama and Shakespeare elements within the English PGCE at Nottingham Trent University. She is a specialist in both drama and dance, Key Stage 3-5, with a proven track record of high attainment across age range and disciplines. She is passionate about Teaching and Learning, Literacy and Oracy and drives these through her role as Lead Practitioner at Charnwood College. Currently, Tanya is taking her MA in Expert Teaching, researching cognitive science theories and how these support teaching, learning and curriculum planning.
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Sonia Thundercliffe,ECT Expert Facilitator,
Sonia Thundercliffe,
Sonia is Assistant Principal for Staff Development at Havelock Academy, Grimsby. Sonia is a Havelock veteran, having spent almost half of her career at the Academy. Sonia has been teaching History for more than twenty years and is happiest in the classroom grappling with a contentious historical question. Sonia is a passionate advocate for an ambitious curriculum, as well as the provision of high-quality teaching as a tool for social justice. Sonia takes great joy from mentoring fledgling teachers to the profession, with a core part of her current role leading on the induction of Early Careers Teachers at Havelock. Â Â
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Wendy BaxterECT Expert Facilitator
Wendy Baxter
Wendy currently works as a trust regional director. Her role involves providing guidance, support and challenge to senior leaders as well as leading on attendance. Wendy has worked in many different schools, both primary and secondary. More recently she has supported some of the most challenging schools in the country. As such she is widely experienced in school 'turnaround' and is passionate about making sure that every pupil has high aspirations for their future. She has also studied some of the very best schools, both in the UK and US, as part of her participation in the Future Leaders programme.
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Jacqueline BrewellECT Expert Facilitator
Jacqueline Brewell
Jacqueline is an experienced Expert Facilitator, Instructional Coach and Mentor and has been working with the ECF since its introduction in 2021, and with NPQs since Spring ‘23. Whilst now freelance, Jacqueline has been a Deputy Head and Senior Leader in primary schools, where she was responsible for: Curriculum Development; the Quality of Teaching and Learning; Assessment; and NQTs/ECTs/ITTs, amongst other things! Before entering Education, Jacqueline held several senior positions in industry involving professional development of staff.
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Ben LathamECT Expert Facilitator
Ben Latham
Ben is currently a seconded Associate Assistant Principal at Havelock Academy leading on coaching and whole-school Literacy: he also supports the Assistant Principal on Teaching & Learning. Ben has served as a Head of English in both the state and private sectors. He is a GCSE Literature marker for Eduqas and has previously presented at their national ‘Teach Meets’. Recently, Ben has worked with a Google and Microsoft partner company advising a portfolio of Primary, Secondary and Special schools on digital strategy, transformation and classroom practice. His academic areas of interest are disciplinary literacy, dialogic teaching and digital pedagogy.
Expert Facilitators (National Institute of Teaching NPQ programmes)
NPQ Expert Facilitators (ID 1139)
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Dave Flowitt,Expert Facilitator NPQH FEB24
Dave Flowitt,
Dave Flowitt is an experienced educator with a career spanning over two decades in leadership roles within educational institutions. Currently serving as the Executive Principal at Coritani Academy in Scunthorpe, England, Director of Inclusion in the Isle Education Trust and Virtual Headteacher for North Lincolnshire. Prior to this, he held the position of Principal at the same academy and served as Vice Principal within the ISLE Education Trust. Dave's journey includes significant tenures as an Executive Headteacher of a Secondary School and Studio, showcasing his commitment to educational excellence and student growth. Dave has worked as a SENCO in two schools and holds the NASENCO qualification as well as a Master's degree in Education from the University of Hull, further solidifying his expertise in the field
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Steve WestExpert Facilitator NPQH FEB24
Steve West
As a headteacher Steve has led schools in challenging circumstance in several highly successful multi-academy trusts. His career has primarily been spent in inner-city London schools, Steve took a failing school in South-East London to an Ofsted Good for the first time in the school's history.
In his current role as Executive Principal within the David Ross Education Trust Steve leads the Trust’s only all-through Academy, Bobby Moore Academy situated on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London. Steve has also recently been appointed the Executive Principal of Havelock Academy.
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John NilandExpert Facilitator NPQSL FEB24
John Niland
John is the Associate Principal and DSL of Coritani Academy. He has extensive experience as a facilitator and brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and advice to his facilitation.
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Claire Tyrrell-SmithExpert Facilitator NPQEYL FEB24
Claire Tyrrell-Smith
With a combined 40 years of experience working across many different educational contexts including Primary schools, Children’s Centres, Sure Start, PVI and International schools, both Helen and Claire hold Trust wide roles for the Early Years Foundation Stage, with Helen additionally holding is involved in overseeing and delivering the EYFS Covid19 Recovery Programme for the DFE in Croydon and Claire as Deputy Head of Greenfields Primary School and Nursery, that was rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted in January 2020.
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Janine KingExpert Facilitator NPQSL OCT24
Janine King
With over 30 years’ experience in primary and middle schools across the country, Janine is currently the principal of Pilgrim Academy in Immingham. She has been a principal and executive principal since 2012, working across several schools in North East Lincolnshire and Hull. She has a proven track record of school improvement, leading and supporting schools in challenging circumstances to achieve good outcomes.
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Stuart RutterExpert Facilitator NPQSENCO OCT24
Stuart Rutter
Stuart Rutter joined DRET in September 2022 and brings a wide range of experience from alternative provision, SEND and mainstream settings. As Trust Wide Lead for SEND (Secondary) Stuart supports all of the SEND teams to ensure all students are accessing a high quality curriculum, in which they can thrive and achieve alongside their peers.
Stuart qualified as a teacher in 2004 and has completed his Masters in Education, NPQEL and NASENCO. Previously Stuart was the Executive Principal for Catch22 Independent Schools, following time as the UK Manager of an education charity that supported girls into education in Uganda.
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Sarah DurbinExpert Facilitator NPQSENCO OCT24
Sarah Durbin
Sarah is the principal at Kings Heath Primary after having been the interim principal since September 2023. For many years, as a teacher and the SENDCo, Sarah played an instrumental role alongside Kings Heath colleagues in transforming the school from ‘inadequate’ to its current strong position at the school’s most recent inspection.
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Karen RobinsonExpert Facilitator NPQLTD OCT24
Karen Robinson
Karen is Deputy Director of Lincolnshire Research School and continues to teach in a small rural primary. As part of her role Karen delivers EEF training programmes and has worked in partnerships to enable groups of schools to identify priorities, co-develop solutions, and engage with the evidence base to meet specific challenges. Karen has been involved in EEF Early-Stage Programme development work in both vocabulary and writing. She is an experienced NPQ facilitator as well as delivering to ECT mentors. Karen has been an Assistant Head and has taught internationally.
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Cathy LoganExpert Facilitator NPQH OCT24
Cathy Logan
Cathy entered the education sector as a qualified teacher in 2001 via the Graduate Teacher Programme having had a previous career in Banking and Finance. She has worked in a number of Primary schools and has been a SENDCo and deputy Head before taking up her first headship in 2010. She became an Executive Headteacher of a Federation in 2019 and has supported a number of school leaders in North Lincolnshire regarding school improvement and leadership in recent years.