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I often think about work as a series of projects. Some are short, some are ambitious, and some evolve over years, but the projects that energise me most are those that combine challenge with genuine enjoyment. Whether the focus is teaching, learning and assessment, school improvement, inclusion, or wider locality development, I find motivation in bringing people together around a shared purpose and then working creatively to make something better than it was before.

Much of my day-to-day work involves tackling the complex and sometimes difficult areas of education. Strong systems, proven processes and evidence-informed practice matter greatly, and I am committed to following what we know works. At the same time, I believe that sustainable improvement is about more than process alone. I am fascinated by how we create meaning, understanding and engagement through thoughtful design, creativity and human-centred approaches. For me, the challenge is not simply implementing a system, but designing experiences, cultures and environments that help people thrive.

Alongside school leadership, I enjoy contributing to larger projects that stretch across organisations and sectors. Current interests include TEAM Plymouth initiatives, Trust-wide developments in artificial intelligence, and a range of personal projects that explore creativity, design thinking and ideas from outside education. Learning from different industries and disciplines helps me bring fresh perspectives back into schools and keeps my own thinking evolving.

Away from work, there is of course the ongoing and ever-important project of being a parent. It is the most rewarding, humbling and challenging role I have, and one that continually shapes my perspective on learning, relationships, community and what really matters.

You can explore some of the schools and projects I am connected with through the websites of Mayflower Community Academy and Ford Primary School, where many of these ideas and developments are beginning to take shape in practice.

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More Than a School

Another area that continues to capture my interest is the idea of becoming more than a school. While schools will always have a vital responsibility to deliver high-quality teaching, learning and achievement, I am increasingly interested in how educational organisations can act as catalysts for wider flourishing within their communities.

At its heart, More Than a School is about recognising that people do not experience life in neat categories. Learning, wellbeing, belonging, family, place, opportunity and aspiration are deeply interconnected. Schools sit at the centre of these relationships and are uniquely positioned to help weave together the social fabric of a community. The challenge is to move beyond seeing the school as simply a provider of education and instead view it as part of a wider ecosystem of support, curiosity, creativity and opportunity.

This has led me to explore questions such as: What happens when schools become connectors rather than destinations? How can education, community organisations, businesses, cultural institutions and families work together to create richer opportunities for children and adults? How do we create places where belonging leads to achievement, and achievement creates the conditions for people to flourish?

Across Plymouth and within the PL2 locality, these ideas have begun to influence a number of projects and partnerships. Whether through community-based learning, family support, curiosity-led experiences, inclusion services or opportunities that extend beyond the school gates, the ambition remains the same: to create environments where people can belong, achieve and flourish.

Ultimately, I am interested in schools not simply as institutions, but as powerful community assets. When schools become hubs of learning, connection, care and possibility, they have the potential to enrich lives far beyond the classroom and help shape stronger, kinder and more hopeful places.