Why I do what I do
… and why it works
You know that person who somehow ends up fixing the thing, finding the answer or explaining it in plain English so everyone else gets it?
That’s me. I help school leaders and leadership teams cut through the noise, make decisions that stick – and stop feeling like they’re one broken photocopier away from losing it.
🤷♀️ So, what do I actually do?
I help you cut through the noise.
Get unstuck.
Work out what matters and what doesn’t.
And find your way forward – whether that’s under, over, through or round.
Sometimes that looks like coaching. Sometimes consultancy.
Sometimes it’s just being the person you can talk to honestly, without feeling like you’ve failed.
I work alongside SBLs, CEOs, Headteachers, governing boards and leadership teams to help them lead with more clarity and less chaos and turn survival mode into “I’ve got this.”
🧭 How I got here
I’ve sat in the chair.
I’ve juggled the impossible budget, untangled the restructure, delivered the brutal board paper and opened more cans of worms than I care to count – some of which I didn’t even open, but still ended up wearing.
In 2016, I started out with a handful of 1:1 clients, mostly from meeting people at events and word of mouth. Then I started writing a weekly Tuesday email – the kind I wish someone had sent me when I was in it.
That turned into a podcast, a coaching community… and now, a whole ecosystem of support for school and Trust leaders who who are ready for things to feel a bit more possible.
🎓 The professional bit
I’ve spent 20 years in education leadership – from small maintained schools to MATs with messy structures and big ambitions.
Former SBM, MAT COO/CFO, Company Secretary, Trustee, Governor, Audit Committee Chair, Finance Committee Chair… you get the gist. CIPD and CIPFA qualified. HR, finance, operations, governance, compliance – I’ve covered the lot.
I’ve written recovery plans under pressure. I’ve dealt with the domino effect of decisions made five steps above my head. I know how school systems work – and more importantly, how they don’t when the cracks start to show.
What do I bring now?
Clarity when everything’s noisy.
Calm when the stakes are high.
Support that actually fits your context – not just something I read in a leadership book once.
💫 Why me?
Because you’re tired of advice that doesn’t fit.
Because you want straight answers, not more overwhelm.
Because you’re carrying more than anyone sees – and you’re ready for some proper support.
I don’t do fluffy pep talks or one-size-fits-all answers.
I do honest conversations, smart questions and practical tools with a proper understanding of how schools (and people) actually work.
You don’t need fixing.
You just need someone in your corner who gets it.
🐾 And when I’m not doing all that…
You’ll usually find me out walking with my husband and our German Shepherd, Tess. She’s getting on a bit now, but still very much the boss!
Those walks tend to be where my brain kicks into gear. Most of my best ideas land somewhere between the front door and the second lamp post – or halfway through a piece of toast. My phone is full of voice notes that start mid-thought and somehow end up as systems, tools or coaching frameworks.
I’m also a Formula 1 superfan – not just for the racing, but for everything underneath it. The pressure, the dynamics, the way a tenth of a second can change everything. That obsession has spiralled into volunteering as a race marshal, which now means I spend weekends in hi-vis, waving flags and hoping it doesn’t rain.
And because no About Me is complete without random info: I once lost a Friends quiz by a single point (49/50) and am still not over it. New York at Christmas is my happy place. And I will cross the room to avoid a banana. Truly awful things.