Executive Director

Douglas Archibald

Douglas is Whole Education’s Executive Director for Development. His focus is on supporting education transformation through peer-to-peer networks. Douglas started his career as a manager on Accenture’s Human Performance practice before leading the development of the Knowledge and Innovation Network at Warwick Business School.

His work on networks has been published in Harvard Business Review and he has advised a number of third and public sector bodies, including the United Nations Development Program and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Before leading Whole Education he was a Partner at the Innovation Unit.

My favourite teacher at secondary school… was Mr Mackie, my history teacher, because he made it fun and enjoyable. He was uniquely eccentric and was hugely passionate about the subject, which rubbed off on all of us.

Executive Director

James Pope

James is Whole Education’s Executive Director for Schools and Trust.  James is passionate about education, learning and leadership.   Believing in the power that education has to inspire young people and transform lives.  He describes himself as an accidental teacher and a deliberate leader, realising that through school leadership he could work alongside others to deliver a vision for education.

James has fifteen plus years of school leadership experience,  most recently as a headteacher and executive leader in a trust.  He left to start a new organisation, InspirEDucate, with the aim of developing networks of leaders who share his passion for change within and across the education system.  Alongside his WE work James supports Headteachers and Trust Leaders across the country through the HeadsUp campaign.

My favourite teacher at secondary school… was Mrs Ward, who went out of her way to teach me Biology, teaching me at lunchtimes and after school due to a timetable issue!  She instilled in me a love of Biology and a deep respect for teachers.

Associate Director

David Crossley

David is passionate about curriculum design and supports schools to maintain an entitlement to a whole education while responding to current changes. David’s ideas derive from his four Headships and work with outstanding school leaders.

He supports the development of effective partnerships working with LAs, MATs and other organisations. David created the DfE’s Raising Achievement Transforming Learning (RATL) programme involving more than 700 schools, which was described by Andrew Hargreaves as “One of the most distinctive, promising and successful reform models in the recent history of educational change”.

His book, Sustainable School Transformation: An Inside Out Approach was published in 2013.

Can help you with: curriculum design; school improvement; school-to-school support 

Director

Dr Sebastien Chapleau

Sebastien is the Director of the Big Education Conversation, leads Whole Education’s communities work, and works in the WE primaries team.

He previously spent 6 years as the Founding Headteacher of La Fontaine Academy in Bromley. Sebastien also held the post of Senior Education Organiser with Citizens UK, where he supported headteachers across London around issues of youth leadership and community engagement.

His community organising work in London was recognised in 2012 with a Community Champion Award from the Mayor of London. He also received an Inspirational Educator from the Worshipful Company of Educators for his work across the UK.

Seb is leading the Big Education Conversation and Whole Education’s work to support vulnerable children and families during the Coronavirus crisis.

My favourite teacher at school was my English Language teacher because she took a deep interest in knowing who I was and what I really cared about.

Director of Primaries

Jo Corrigan

Previously a professional, committed, experienced and successful Primary headteacher, Jo is now the Director of Primary for Whole Education. She previously served in a similar role for SSAT, and brings significant experience of what makes the most difference when supporting a national network of schools.

Jo has worked in a wide range of schools with differing contexts across two Local Authorities, providing the vision and leadership required to ensure a high-quality education for pupils.

My favourite teacher at school… was Mr Lynham because he made learning fun, exciting and relevant.  He knew all of his pupils extremely well.We would often ‘down tools’ and sing songs!  It was great to return to the school as a NQT and work alongside him as a teacher and leader for 6 years.

Director of Secondaries

Lisa Ling

Lisa joined Whole Education in October 2016. Prior to this, she worked in secondary schools for twenty-one years; first as an English teacher and then for thirteen years as a senior leader and vice-principal.

Her passion as a teacher and leader has always been to provide an inclusive, engaging and rounded education for all young people. Throughout her school career, she has had a determination to help young people achieve academic excellence alongside developing the skills, knowledge, and qualities needed to flourish in life, learning and work.

My favourite and most influential teacher was Mrs Booth, a passionate English specialist with a desire to help the most disadvantaged youngsters to dream big who patiently gave them the tools with which to achieve these goals. Special mention also to Jonathon Neelands who taught me how to teach – a gift for which I will be eternally grateful.

Associate Director

Hannah Wilson

Hannah Wilson is an independent educational consultant who specialises in leadership development and training. She is a DfE coach for the Women Leading in Education initiative and an advocate for flexible working (the focus for her MA in Education).

Her former roles have included:

• Head of Secondary Teacher Training, University of Buckingham 
• Founding Executive Headteacher of Aureus School & Aureus Primary School, GLF Schools
• Strategic Lead for the GLF Teaching School Alliance
• Sub-Regional Strategic Lead for the SE Women Leading in Education Network for Oxon, Berks and Bucks (NCTL)
• Professional Learning Lead for the Harris Federation

Secondary and Projects Manager

Verity Cane

Verity is Secondary and Projects Manager for Whole Education, leading WE’s SEND Networks and Spirals of Enquiry. She also works closely with Director of Secondaries, Lisa Ling, supporting our core network of secondary schools to connect and collaborate.

Verity is a TeachFirst Ambassador and was previously a History teacher in North East Lincolnshire. Before joining Whole Education in 2018, Verity worked for education charity Challenge Partners as a Memberships Manager. Outside of work, Verity recently completed a Masters in Education, focusing her thesis on the issue of teacher retention in coastal communities.

My favourite teacher at school …was Mrs Todd because I couldn’t understand Maths at all until she taught me. She explained things in a way that made problems make sense to me when they never had before and helped me succeed. 

Strategic Communications and Content Lead

Alex Hardiman

Alex joined WE in summer 2017 and leads the network’s comms and content strategy (learn more in Alex’s blog about our rebrand and digital relaunch). He has also had the privilege of leading three WE annual conferences – including WE10, our tenth birthday!

He previously worked in the central team of a values-led primary trust. He worked with the Department for Education, local authorities and ESFA as project lead on new free schools in four regions.

Alex also worked for WE Partner Big Change on Reimagining Education– an ambitious, cross-sector international campaign to support a more rounded education. As project coordinator, Alex helped developed the campaign and UK launch.

My favourite teacher… was Mr Venning, a sixth form English teacher in my last few years at school. His love was the subject was inspiring and infectious; he was also wonderfully thoughtful and open-minded.

Project Manager

Charlotte Lewis

Charlotte is the Project Lead for The Big Education Conversation where she supports volunteers to organise their community to better prepare young people for their futures. She also works as a project lead across WE’s suite of projects and programmes.

She is passionate about unlocking the potential of community resources to support young people through enabling people to work more collaboratively.

Before this Charlotte coordinated projects and events across the Whole Education network and held previous roles at The Girls Network and Royal Collection Trust.

My favourite teacher at school was Miss Ryan who, through her compassion and love of English, taught me how to understand the world and view it from the perspective of others.

Finance Manager

Sharon McCormack

Operations Manager

Fie Rason

Fie joined Whole Education in 2020 to provide support for the development of the operational elements of the business, to help ensure it is robust, has fit for purpose programme management processes and joined up strategic thinking across the organisation – thus ensuring that we deliver our whole education mission and values.

Fie is an experienced Project Manager, who has worked and volunteered in the charity, not for profit and education sector for over 20 years. She is passionate about the benefits of collaborative working, a common sense approach to project management and process-driven approach to work within any organisation.

My favourite teacher… was my German teacher at school, who taught me to not fear language lessons like I had previously, and although by no means my favourite subject it was possible to achieve in something that didn’t come naturally.