Author list

Donald Meichenbaum, Ph.D. is a founder of Cognitive Behavioral Modification and has been voted one of the 10 most influential psychotherapists of the Century. Dr. Meichenbaum is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and maintains a private practice as a clinical psychologist. As an expert in the treatment of PTSD, Dr. Meichenbaum has presented throughout North and Central America, Israel, Japan, and the former Soviet Union. As a clinician and researcher, he has treated all age groups for traumas suffered from violence, abuse, accidents, and illness.

Dr. Meichenbaum is the author and co-author of numerous books including: A Clinical Handbook/Practical Therapist Manual for Assessing and Treating Adults with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Stress Inoculation Training, Pain and Behavioral Medicine, Facilitating Treatment Adherence and Roadmap to Resilience. His book, Cognitive Behavior Modification: An Integrative Approach, is considered a classic in its field. He also serves as the editor of the Plenum Press Series on Stress and Coping.

Linda Metcalf, PhD is a former teacher, school counselor and coordinator for safe and drug free schools in Mansfield ISD, Texas, USA. She consults with schools throughout the USA, Canada, Australia and the UK. Linda Metcalf PhD is Director and Professor of the Graduate Counseling Program at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, TX. She can be reached at lmetcalf@txwes.edu for training invitations.

L. Michael Hall is a Cognitive Psychologist who through research into NLP and Self-Actualization Psychology is now a modeler of human excellence; he has completed 15 modeling projects from Resilience, Women in Leadership, Self-Actualization, Coaching, Self-Actualizing Leaders, Managers, and Companies, Selling, Defusing, Wealth Creation, etc. He has authored 50 NLP books and a series on Meta-Coaching. Michael co-founded the ISNS (International Society of Neuro-Semantics) and the MCF (Meta-Coaching Foundation) and is an internationally renowned trainer. For his free weekly newsletter, Neurons, go to www.neurosemantics.com to sign up.

Click here to visit L Michael Hall's site on Self-Actualization.

Gustav Milne studied archaeology at the University of Oxford and at Birkbeck College, University of London. He worked as a professional archaeologist with the Museum of London for 20 years before lecturing at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London (UCL). He now leads the national community based CITiZAN coastal archaeology project, hosted by the Museum of London Archaeology and featured in the Channel 4 series Britain at Low Tide.

Click here to read Gustav Milne's article, Stone Age Cities: What modern urbanites could learn from paleolithic humans', in The Guardian.

Click here to read Gustav Milne's article, How modern cities are killing our ancient bodies ' and what planners can do about it', in The Planner.

Click here to read Robert Scheer's New Age Journal including an article on Uncivilised Genes.

Katy Milne is Programme Manager at CCE (Creativity, Culture and Education). Katy has cultivated educational practice through an enquiry-based approach to creative learning and personal development, which has had a positive impact on learning outcomes across schools and networks internationally. Previously Cultural Programme Officer for South Tyneside Council and Director of Arts and Creativity at Greenfield Arts for 16 years, Katy has a Masters in Education and a PGC in Innovative Curriculum and Pedagogy which informs approaches to developing creative learning.

Fran Morgan founded Square Peg in 2019, following her own daughter’s struggles in the education system, having seen clear evidence that there were (and still are) a growing number of square pegs. After 14 years working in this field to support other parents and effect change, she has now retired to pick up the reins of her copywriting business.  

Jacquelyne Morison is the Founder and Course Director of Jacquelyne Morison Hypnotherapy Training and is a therapeutic practitioner specialising in analytical hypnotherapy and psychotherapy as an adjunct to stress management and clinical hypnotherapy. Jacquelyne is Course Director of Jacquelyne Morison Hypnotherapy Training and is the author of Analytical Hypnotherapy Volumes 1 and 2 published by Crown House Publishing Ltd and The Truly Dynamic Therapist published by AuthorHouse Ltd.

Steve Munby has spent his whole career in education, first as a teacher and then as an adviser and inspector before moving into leadership. Between 2005 and 2017 he was chief executive first of the National College for School Leadership in England and then of Education Development Trust, an international education charity. He is now a self-employed consultant and speaker on leadership and on system reform.

Bruce Eimer, PhD, ABPP, is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area with over twenty-six years of experience using hypnosis as a tool in treating people with a variety of emotional and medical conditions. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and Board Certified in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy with the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Eimer is the author or co-author of a number of professional textbooks on hypnotherapy and psychotherapy and self-help books on the applications of self-hypnosis for managing chronic pain, anxiety and depression.

Claudio Naranjo, MD served his psychiatric residency under Matte-Blanco at the University of Chile Clinic and underwent training analysis at the Chilean Psychoanalytic Institute. He conducted extensive psychopharmacological and personality research and worked with Fritz Perls and Dr James Simkin in the early days of Gestalt therapy. Dr Naranjo authored many highly-esteemed therapy titles and was a keynote speaker for the American and European Associations for Humanistic Psychology, and at several national and international Gestalt conferences.

Dr. Neil Hawkes is an Oxford graduate and International Education Consultant. As Head Teacher of Kidlington Primary and Nursery School, Neil worked tirelessly with both the school and the community to devise and implement a unique system of Values-based Education, which has since been internationally recognised as the foundation of excellent school practice.

Former Prime Minister David Cameron endorses Values-based Education - watch video.

Read Dr Hawkes' interview with the Portsmouth News.

Read about the inspirational effect Dr Hawkes had on Ratton School, East Sussex.

Read Dr Hawkes' interview with The Shuttle.

Dr Hawkes is a Man on a Mission in his latest interview with The Yorkshire Post.

Listen to the summary of all Dr Hawkes radio appearances.

Lillian Nejad, PhD, is a clinical psychologist with over 20 years of experience in the assessment and treatment of individuals with mild to severe psychological issues and disorders. Lillian's broad range of experience in mental health and university settings has led to a number of specialist areas and interests including:

Cognitive Behavioural Treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders,

Dialectical Behaviour Treatment for borderline personality disorder,

and Relaxation and Mindfulness techniques to manage stress and enhance well-being.

Lillian is also a freelance writer, avid photographer, and having lived in Melbourne for 20 years, loves a good coffee!

Check out her blog: www.omnipsych.com and follow her on Twitter: OmnipsychCPS

Peter Nelmes has worked with children with challenging lives and challenging behaviour since 1990. As part of his endeavours to make sense of his professional world, he gained a doctorate in education ' the subject of which was the role of the emotions in teaching and learning. He has taught and researched in a variety of settings, and has also been an associate lecturer for the Open University.

Alan Newland spent forty years as a teacher, lecturer, head teacher and advisor at the Department for Education and the General Teaching Council for England. He now writes and speaks on ethics and professional values in teaching, and presents lectures to thousands of students each year at universities and school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) providers across the country. Alan also runs the award-winning social media network newteacherstalk.com.

Click here to read Alan Newland’s blog.

Libby Nicholas is Chief Executive of the Reach4 Academy Trust. She was previously Regional Director ' South and West for the Academies Enterprise Trust. She has wide experience of headship and senior leadership in the independent and maintained sectors and across the full age range of schools.

Steve Oakes has over 20 years' of experience as a teacher and leader, and has been a Head of Sixth Form at two successful schools in the UK and the UAE. As a current Head of Sixth Form, he works closely with students to maximise levels of engagement and commitment, designing high-impact interventions and practical tools for improving academic performance.

Jarlath O'Brien has been a teacher for nearly two decades, working in comprehensive, independent, selective and special education – including in schools for children with social, emotional and behavioural issues and severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties. For the last eight years Jarlath has been a head teacher and executive head teacher.

Jarlath is also a behaviour columnist for TES, has written for The Guardian and for several other education publications and trains teachers on behaviour, school leadership and special educational needs.

Click here to listen in on Jarlath's podcast with Pivotal Education - How to be a great leader in a special school'.

Click here to read Jarlath's article in the Guardian in which he discusses how children with special needs are grossly over-represented in exclusion figures.

Click here to listen to Jarlath on Surrey Hills Community Radio's The SEND Show'.

What are we called to do in our lives and how can we discover and express our personal and professional genius and purpose? Not easy questions but Nick has been struggling with and exploring them for himself and with others through his writing, editing, and storytelling, as well as in workshops, seminars and coaching sessions with individuals, educational institutions, professional bodies, organisations, and the arts for the last several decades. These days his primary professional passions catalyse around two areas. Firstly, the development of shared narratives that explore how schools, NGOs, and large organisations would do well to be more fully human, more self-organising and self-managing and less stuck in the old paradigms of autocracy, hierarchy, ego, power and control. Secondly, how can people entering the Third Act of their lives see their future less as a surrender into retirement and more as an opportunity to transition into a generative and creative period of contribution and personal exploration of their life's true purpose? In a whole variety of exciting ways, these two areas are both evolutionary and deeply interconnected.

Natalie Packer is an education consultant specialising in SEND and school improvement. Having previously worked for the National Strategies SEN team and as a local authority adviser, Natalie has a significant amount of experience within this area of the education sector. She runs a range of professional development courses, carries out SEND reviews and supports a range of multi-academy trusts across the country with their strategic development of SEND provision.

As Executive Director at Restorative Thinking, Lesley Parkinson supports a restorative education for all (including pupils, children, parents and carers, workforce professionals, young and adult offenders), promoting key life skills in restorative practice via training programmes and consultation.

Jo Payne is a Deputy Head Teacher. Although she specialised in primary languages during her teaching degree, she is particularly interested in how technology can enhance pupils' learning. She writes a blog, MrsPTeach, on which she shares ideas about many subjects within education, including: feedback and marking, whole-class reading and maintaining a healthy work'life balance as a teacher @MrsPTeach.

Click here to read Jo Payne’s blog.

Kenny Pieper has been teaching English for fifteen years and still loves every minute of it. He stands shakily on the shoulders of giants in the shape of his amazingly inspiring colleagues. Deep down, he still can't believe his luck that he gets to do this.

Click here to listen in on Kenny's podcast with Pivotal Education on How to get children reading for pleasure'.

Simon Pridham has successfully managed and implemented a mobile device learning programme as head teacher of Casllwchwr Primary, which is frequently named as one of the UK's leading schools in using technology. Simon has been Lifelong Intergenerational Furthering Education (LIFE) Programme Manager across Wales and has also worked closely with the country's Education Ministers as a member of the Welsh Government Practitioners Panel and the National Digital Learning Council.

He is co-founder and Director of Aspire 2Be (www.aspire2b.eu) who are a leading Ed Tech company working with schools, local authorities and governments in rolling out technology-led programmes.

Oliver Quinlan is an educator with experience from Early Years and Primary to Higher Education. His background has involved developing the use of new technologies and pedagogical approaches based on authentic communication with children and new and existing teachers. Since being a school teacher, Oliver has been a Lecturer in Education at Plymouth University and Programme Manager for Digital Education at Nesta, working on innovation projects in Education. He is currently Research Manager at The Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Listen to Oliver's US interview with Mr Dad (the interview starts at around 12.27 mins in).

Click here to read Oliver Quinlan’s blog.

Peter Radford is a teacher, trainer, public speaker and coach with a wealth of experience in leadership, management and personal development. He began his career in youth work before entering teaching and working in middle and senior leadership. Peter has also played a lead role in helping two large secondary schools achieve Unicef's Rights Respecting Schools Award.

Click here to read Peter Radford’s blog.

Marlene Rattigan is an Early Childhood teacher, a teacher of English as a Second Language, and from 1987-2000 was a nationally accredited fitness leader. Her background is in music education. A keen interest in motor development in children led to the creation of Kidz-Fiz-Biz which she taught successfully for 13 years. Marlene also conducts workshops for children, teachers and parents at schools, in the community and at festivals. These books are an extension of her Kidz-Fiz-Biz' programme.

Click here to read Marlene Rattigan’s blog.

X-Ray Listener Judy Rees is a journalist and author, entrepreneur and marketer who loves connecting people and ideas.

She is an expert in applying Clean Language - originally a therapy technique - in business contexts. She uses this precise approach to listening, questioning and metaphor to reveal people's tacit knowledge and to help them develop businesses, make personal changes, and create systems, products and services which fit their customers perfectly.

Click here to visit Judy's X-Ray Listening website.

Julie Rees has been teaching in the primary sector for 20 years. As Headteacher of a primary school experiencing all the challenges of a deprived rural area she introduced the Values Education approach which radically transformed the quality of life for both children and staff. Julie is currently Headteacher of Ledbury Primary School.

Meg Reid is the UK`s leading specialist at coaching with women who want to bridge a gap in their lives. She works with American women re-locating to England, women in mid-life and women in supportive organisational roles in Universities. Meg co-founded the UK Coaching Partnership Ltd with Lynette with the express purpose of training ethical and responsible coaches. Meg wrote the first coaching book for the Arabic world.

Larry is the principal consultant at 21st Century Leader and has twenty years' experience of developing leaders and trainers in a wide range of organisations. He believes in creating organisations where people love to work.

Nia Richards has been designing and supporting professional learning in creativity since 2015, firstly, as Regional Lead for a national programme in Wales and currently as Programme Manager for Creativity, Culture and Education. She was a classroom teacher for 13 years in secondary and further education, she also has an MA in Practitioner Research.

Madeleine Richeport-Haley is a noted anthropologist film-maker who studied with Erickson.

Justin Robbins co-founded Fit2Communicate in 2015 and is an experienced communication expert, a Fellow of the Institute of Internal Communications and a certified DISC personality profile practitioner. Prior to 2015, Justin spent 15 years working in corporate communications around the globe – and he is passionate about making a difference for future generations, primarily through helping schools to communicate. Justin is also a British Triathlon level 3 coach and lives in Wiltshire with his wife, two children and chocolate Labrador.

Click here to read Justin Robbins' blog.

Click here to read Adam Robbins' blog.

Jim Roberson, former American football player, has been working on the Disciplined Approach for over 20 years as a teacher, trainer, coach and parent. He is an independent education consultant and works with parents, teachers and students.

Read a feature on Jim's approach to discipline in an article for the Independent - September 2012.

Jim and The Discipline Coach book had an Honourable Mention in the San Francisco Book Festival 2013.

Hywel Roberts has taught in secondary, primary and special settings for almost 30 years. He contributes to university education programmes and writes regularly for TES as the ‘travelling teacher’. A true Northerner, Hywel deals in botheredness, creative practice, curriculum development and imagineering. He was recently described as ‘a world leader in enthusiasm’ and his first book, Oops! Helping Children Learn Accidentally, is a favourite among teachers. Hywel is a much sought-after educational speaker, an Independent Thinking Associate and has contributed to events worldwide. He also contributes fiction to prison-based literacy reading programmes developed by The Shannon Trust and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Roland Roberts studied at the Royal Academy in London and later as a Fulbright Scholar in the USA where he gained a Masters Degree in Music. Roland has broadcast and performed worldwide as a solo violinist and has been leader of some of the finest British ensembles including the Thames Chamber Orchestra and the City of Oxford Orchestra with whom he has recently recorded Vivaldi's Four Seasons'. He has also played on many Hollywood movie soundtracks and CD recordings ranging from Pavarotti to Annie Lennox, and performed in venues from The Carnegie Hall to Wembley Stadium. As a conductor he was principal conductor of the Fulham Symphony Orchestra for five years and has worked with many professional and amateur orchestras. Other work includes composing and arranging music for BBC television and film, and a recent composition 'An English Elegy' was chosen as 'pick of the week' on BBC Radio Suffolk.

Juliet Robertson is a retired education consultant specialising in outdoor learning and play and the author of two popular books, Dirty Teaching and Messy Maths. In 2024 she was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Education from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh in recognition of her pioneering work and significant contribution to education. 

Juliet received an unexpected blood cancer diagnosis at the end of 2020 which altered her life trajectory. She began writing poetry in 2021 as a way of making sense of her illness, treatment and prognosis. She discovered that sharing her poetry was a gateway to necessary, but not easy, conversations with family and friends.

She has written updates on her health journey which can be read here

She expands upon her poetry here

Click here to read Juliet's podcast with Earthly Chats.

Click here to listen to Juliet’s podcast with Wild Minds about outdoor learning and play.

Click here to read Juliet Robertson’s outdoor learning blog.

Martin Robinsonworked for 20 years in state schools in London as a teacher, a leader and an advanced skills teacher. Now an education consultant, he works with schools and other institutions on curriculum development and a wide range of other issues. He is a regular on the conference circuit both in the UK and internationally.

Click here to listen to the podcast Naylor's Natter where Phil Naylor talks to Martin about Curriculum-Athena versus the Machine.

Shelle Rose Charvet has been learning NLP since 1983 and became a Certified NLP Trainer in 1992. She has been exploring Rodger Bailey's Language and Behavior Profile (LAB Profile®) since she encountered it at Institut Repère in Paris in the mid-1980s.

Today she is known in the NLP community as the 'Queen of LAB Profile' because of her books Words That Change Minds (1997) and The Customer is Bothering Me (2010) - and the LAB Profile training she delivers to NLP institutes around the world. She also works with businesses and organisations to help them transform communication with customers and solve other influencing and persuasion challenges. Shelle speaks English, French and Spanish and is currently learning German.

Click here to read Shelle Rose Charvet’s blog.

Professor Rosenthal's research has centred for over 40 years on the role of the self-fulfilling prophecy in everyday life and in laboratory situations. Special interests include the effects of teacher's expectations on students' academic and physical performance, the effects of experimenters' expectations on the results of their research, and the effects of clinicians' expectations on their patients' mental and physical health. For some 40 years he has been studying the role of nonverbal communication in (a) the mediation of interpersonal expectancy effects and in (b) the relationship between members of small work groups and small social groups. He also has strong interests in sources of artifact in behavioral research and in various quantitative procedures. In the realm of data analysis, his special interests are in experimental design and analysis, contrast analysis, and meta-analysis. His most recent books and articles are about these areas of data analysis and about the nature of nonverbal communication in teacher-student, doctor-patient, manager-employee, judge-jury, and psychotherapist-client interaction. He is Co-Chair of the Task Force on Statistical Inference of the American Psychological Association.

Greg Ross is an Associate Professor (Teaching) at the UCL Centre for Educational Leadership, IOE. He specialises in the design and delivery of evidence-informed professional learning programmes for teachers and school leaders, in partnership with ministries of education, non-governmental organisations, and international school groups. Greg’s research focuses on the leadership of curriculum change. Before joining the IOE, Greg was a senior leader and English teacher in secondary schools.

Jackie Rossa has worked as a teacher, educator and manager within the learning and skills sector. She now works as an educational consultant and additional inspector. She has conducted research into transforming learning and has worked with many providers to successfully implement initiatives designed to advance excellence in teaching and learning.

Tim Rowan, MSW, maintained a clinical practice and held the position of Division Chair of Behavioural and Social Sciences and Professor of Human Services at Allegany College of Maryland. In addition to his therapeutic and academic work, Tim was a soccer coach and a softball coach and had been selected Soccer Coach of the Year seven times.

Chris Runeckles is an experienced history teacher at Durrington High School, where he currently leads on teaching and learning and is an assistant director of their Research School. A former journalist, Chris also regularly contributes to the popular blog Class Teaching and tweets @chris_runeckles.

Will Ryan has worked in schools in South Yorkshire for over forty years as a teacher, head teacher and local authority adviser. As a head teacher he led a school that prized itself on genuine pupil creativity and was described by Ofsted as outstanding'. He is a speaker and Associate of Independent Thinking Ltd.

Click here to read Will Ryan’s blog.

Mark S. Carich, PhD, is coordinator of the Sexually Dangerous Persons Program with Illinois Corrections at Big Muddy River Correctional Center. He is currently Adjunct Professor in the Counseling Department at Lindenwood University, and was affiliated with the Adler School of Professional Psychology. He has written extensively on issues relating to the management of sex offenders.

Ruchi Sabharwal is Director of Teaching and Learning at a community academy trust in Cambridgeshire. Driven by an insatiable passion for teaching and learning, Ruchi has a keen interest in new developments and research in pedagogy. She is also a regular speaker at #LearningFirst conferences, leading workshops on a range of approaches to assessment.

Dr Samantha Todd is a clinical psychologist who works with children and adolescents with learning disabilities. She also provides regular training for teachers and children's services, and has co-developed a programme for behavioural difficulties, Riding the Rapids: Living with Autism or Disability.

Julie Sargent has over 10 years’ experience of working across the whole of the primary sector as an English Consultant. This includes developing bespoke CPD for individual schools, multi-academy trusts and local authorities. She has a particular interest in Early Years/KS1 and using high-quality texts to promote and develop all aspects of English.

Tom Saunders MD merged his life's work as a physician with his life's pleasure, golf. He practiced as a Family Physician in Calgary until 1968 when he joined the new Faculty of Medicine as head of Family Practice. As a professor he taught medical students and trainees how to use self hypnosis techniques to help their patients manage medical problems. He set the principles of hypnosis on his own game, and with other golfers.

Mel Scott is an MFL and English specialist who currently leads a year six team at Vale School. Prior to entering the teaching profession, she worked in industry using her language skills in areas as diverse as buying and copywriting. She has a particular interest in raising the level of children's engagement in and enjoyment of writing. @melscott123

David Shephard BSc, DES is Chairman and Head of Research and Training for The Performance Partnership. David is a Master Trainer of NLP, Time Line Therapy, instructor of Hypnotherapy and teacher of Hawaiian Huna. He presents public seminars including Presenting Magically throughout the year. His companies include The Performance Partnership, the Coaching Partnership and The Profitability Partnership.

Julia Silver is the founder of Qualified Tutor, a professional development community that develops and certifies tutors. She lives in North London with her husband Simon, her five children and her Labrador puppy.

Iesha Small is an educator, a writer and an innovation lead at an education think tank. Iesha was previously an assistant head teacher and taught for fourteen years. After a breakdown in 2011, she started using photography to improve her mental health and explore people's stories ' and this journey ultimately led to her becoming an author. Iesha writes about education for various publications, including The Guardian and TES, and was previously a monthly columnist for Schools Week. To keep things interesting, she is also a speaker, blogger and podcaster. She lives near London with her family and a tiny but loud dog.

Jim Smith, the laziest (yet still professional) teacher in town, is a head of school, education consultant, Independent Thinking Associate, speaker and bestselling author.

Alistair Smith is an internationally known consultant, author and trainer. He has spoken to tens of thousands of teachers across the world and has written a number of books including: The Brain's Behind It: New Knowledge about the Brain and Learning, Help Your Child to Succeed: The Essential Guide for Parents and Accelerated Learning: A User's Guide. He is the designated learning consultant to the Football Association. He is also the author of Learning to Learn in Practice (ISBN 9781845902872).

Suzi Smith co-founded Anchor Point Institute (formerly Western States Training Associates/NLP of Utah) with Tim Hallbom to provide practical, skill-based training to individuals, businesses, and government organizations. She began conducting NLP Certification Trainings in 1985 and has been active in bringing NLP skills into people's lives in many locations throughout the world since that time. Her trainings are respected for their excellence in providing real-world skills that are practical and useful, and she is known for her ability to make even the most complicated process understandable and easy to learn.

She holds a Bachelors Degree from the University of Utah and a Master of Science Degree in Counselling from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. She has a Certificate from the Four Winds Society in Shamanic Healing and Soul Retrieval, a Certificate from the American Council of Hypnotist Examiners as a Hypnotherapist, and Certificates as an NLP Practitioner, Master Practitioner, and Trainer. Suzi's website is www.suzismith.net

Suzi is co-author of the book NLP: The New Technology of Achievement, and is featured on the Nightingale-Conant tape series NLP-The New Technology of Achievement. She produced the CDs Preparing for a Medical Intervention, Creating a Healthy Identity, Dealing with Allergies, and Communicating with Symptoms. She co-developed the CD Healing Yourself with Tim Hallbom.

In partnership with NLP innovator Robert Dilts, and Tim Hallbom, co-founder of Anchor Point, Suzi developed new NLP applications in the field of health and well-being. She continues to do research and development into the uses of NLP as it applies to longevity and life extension as well as health. In addition to conducting training around the world, she consults for a variety of private and government organizations. In her private practice she specializes in applying NLP to areas of physical and emotional health, giving people new choices of behavior in their personal and professional lives. Suzi has recently expanded to include telephone life coaching as a part of her practice.

Dr Ellen Spencer is Senior Researcher at the Centre for Real-World Learning and, with Bill Lucas, author of Teaching Creative Thinking. Ellen is also a Researcher for Arts Council England's Creativity Collaboratives, a three-year project to test a range of innovative practices in teaching for creativity in schools.

UKEdChat Podcast - Episode 13 - Teaching Creative Thinking.

Karen Spence-Thomas is a former schoolteacher and Associate Professor (Teaching) at the Centre for Educational Leadership, IOE. She specialised in designing and facilitating tailored professional development programmes for school leaders in the UK and internationally. She also co-led the centre’s R&D network of schools, promoting teacher inquiry as a basis for professional development. 

Stuart Spendlow loves challenging the norm, trying new things and constantly questioning his teaching practice. His philosophy, in teaching and in life, is that everything should be done to challenge, grow and inspire. He is also the author of Penguinpig an e-safety themed picture book for 5- to 7-year-olds.

Julia Stead is a teacher and key stage leader with over a decade of experience in the classroom, having taught from Reception right through to Year 5. Julia has written for various educational publishers on topics such as the recent changes in primary education, how specialised toolkits can be designed for whole-school impact and how to create whole-school CPD packages. She has also presented at national CPD events.

Elena Stevens is a secondary school teacher and the history lead in her department. Having completed her PhD in the same year that she qualified as a teacher, Elena loves drawing upon her doctoral research and continued love for the subject to shape new schemes of work and inspire students’ own passions for the past.

Kristian Still is a Deputy Head at Academic Boundary Oak School, an independent private school in Hampshire. He has over 20-years’ experience as a head teacher and senior leader with a MsEd in Kinesiology, BSc in Sports Science, and a Level 5 Coaching and Mentoring. Kristian shares a keen interest in education leadership, evidence informed practice and #edutech.

Dr Louise Stoll is Professor of Professional Learning at the UCL Centre for Education, IOE and an international consultant, focusing on how school and system leaders create capacity for learning. Louise is a former president of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement and has worked with the OECD on several initiatives. She has co-developed many materials supporting leaders to connect research evidence and practice.