Straight-talking strategy. Practical support.
Real support for real-life leadership.
Trusted advice for school leaders building structure, capacity and headspace.
🔥 Sound familiar?
Growing a Trust. Running multiple schools. Spinning all the plates – finance, compliance, staffing, estates, governance, and whatever else lands in your inbox before 9am.
The decisions never stop – and the weight of those decisions is felt everywhere, from the boardroom to the classroom.
And when capacity’s tight, it’s easy for the big-picture stuff to take a back seat – buried under the day-to-day firefighting.
You don’t need another off-the-shelf consultant.
You need someone who gets how schools actually work – and can help you create the structure, focus and momentum to move things forward.
👋 I’m Laura — and I get it.
I’m Laura – school leadership coach, MAT advisor, operational strategist and sleeves-rolled-up partner to schools and Trusts navigating growth, complexity and change.
I work with CEOs, Headteachers, leadership teams and governing boards to bring clarity, fresh perspective and the breathing space so the big stuff doesn’t stay stuck.
I know how schools function – not just in theory, but in the day-to-day. I’ve lived it. I know where the friction is, where things bottleneck, and how quickly stability turns into a scramble when “just one more thing” becomes ten – and the capacity just isn’t there.
Whether it’s tackling strategy, risk, compliance or audit prep, I help you cut through the noise, steady the ship and tackle what’s next – without reinventing the wheel or piling more onto your already too-long to-do list.
Because that operational clarity isn’t just about tidying up the chaos – it’s about making space for what really matters: the quality of provision and the outcomes we’re all here to deliver.
🎯 Here’s how it works
It always starts with a conversation.
Maybe your team’s come through a tricky patch and things still feel a bit unsettled. Or the Trust is growing fast and the groundwork needs a rethink before you stack anything else on top.
You might be navigating a restructure, reviewing governance or trying to get a strategic plan off the ground while there’s still a window to make it work.
Sometimes you just need someone outside the day-to-day – someone who can ask the questions no one else has time for, spot the patterns you’re too close to see and help untangle the bits that feel knotty.
I’ve supported Boards through governance reviews, helped CEOs reset after periods of rapid growth, worked with Heads to rebuild systems and culture and stepped in during those ‘we need to get this right’ moments – from risk audits and restructuring to organisational redesign.
From there, the shape depends on what you need – but here’s what it usually looks like:
1️⃣ We get stuck in.
You don’t need help spotting the problem – you know exactly what it is. But you do need a second brain that’s not buried in the day-to-day to help unpick it and work it through.
2️⃣ We make a plan.
Not a slide deck that gathers dust. A plan that fits your context – your people, your pressures, your priorities – and actually helps things move.
3️⃣ We keep the momentum together.
I stay alongside as things evolve – testing ideas, asking the hard questions and helping things stay on track without it all falling back on you.
The aim’s always the same: clarity, capacity and calm where it counts – so you can make high-value decisions that drive real impact where it matters most.
💷 What do I get and what does it cost?
Your first call’s free – no prep, no pressure, just a straight chat about what’s going on and what support might help.
There’s no one-size-fits-all model.
Sometimes it’s a one-off strategy session to unstick something fast.
Sometimes it’s a short, focused piece of work.
Sometimes it’s longer-term support as things evolve – a second brain you can call on when you need it.
Pricing is transparent and proportionate to what you need – no generic packages, no tie-ins. Just a clear, costed plan we agree together.
Support can be delivered on-site or remotely and I’m flexible with timings too – we’ll work around your diary.
🌟 Imagine if…
…you actually had the headspace to focus on culture, people and long-term plans – not just whatever’s landed in your inbox that morning.
…your leadership team pulled in the same direction – not just reacted to the latest fire.
…you had the space to think ahead – because the day-to-day is running smoother and you’re not holding it all alone.
…those tough conversations got easier – because the data’s clear, the decisions are shared and the next steps make sense.
…governance meetings felt purposeful – not performative.
That’s the aim.
Not perfection.
Not magic wands.
Just clearer thinking, firmer footing and improved outcomes – for your team, your organisation and for you!
🧨 And if you don’t?
You keep going.
Doing what you can. Managing the day-to-day. Hoping the bigger stuff will get its turn.
But when the pressure’s constant and the headspace keeps shrinking, momentum stalls.
Priorities get shuffled. Projects get parked. And all that potential?
It ends up gathering dust.
It’s not a crisis – but it is a slow drift.
One that quietly chips away at clarity, confidence and progress.
This isn’t about quick fixes.
It’s about making sure the stuff that matters actually gets the time, energy and structure it needs to stick.
💬 What others say
✅ 20 years in school leadership, MAT strategy, finance and operational leadership
✅ Supporting CEOs, CFOs, COOs, Governing Boards and SBLs
✅ Experience across maintained, single academy and multi-academy trust settings
✅ Known for pragmatic advice, clear thinking and quietly handling the tricky stuff
““Laura combines intellect, expertise and integrity with emotional intelligence and humour, building strong relationships quickly while delivering real results.” – CEO
“The value Laura has provided me and my school is significant. She articulates complex knowledge in a meaningful way, challenges constructively and fully understands the realities of school leadership. I’d have been lost without her.” – Headteacher
“At the most challenging time in my career, Laura’s guidance and practical solutions helped me navigate the darkest days, regain control and rebuild my self-confidence and belief in my leadership capacity.” – Headteacher