Strategic Board

Mark is the Director of the Teaching School Hub at Harris Academy Chafford Hundred representing the Local Authority Districts of Basildon, Brentwood, Castle Point, Maldon, Rochford, Southend and Thurrock across the East of England. He is currently working closely with the Department for Education and the Teaching School Council on the newly introduced Early Career Framework and National Professional Qualifications and with the Research Schools Network and the Education Endowment Foundation on improving the attainment and outcomes for all children.

He has spent thirteen years in educational leadership, specialising in professional development, initial teacher training and the English curriculum. He has been a leader of High Challenge Teaching and Learning, a pastoral Head of House, an Assistant Principal in charge of KS3 and a Head of a Teaching School Alliance working at the forefront of school improvement, policy change and reforms in schools. He has led organisations through the Ofsted inspection framework to Outstanding and is finishing a PhD with King’s College London on the Comparing International Perspectives on the Core Knowledge Curriculum.

Kerrie McGivern is the Director of Primary Improvement for the Saffron Academy Trust, and works collegiately with leaders and teachers to develop knowledge and skills, refine and improve curriculum and ensure progressive outcomes for pupils across the primary phase. 

In addition to her Trust directorship, Kerrie is also Assistant Director of the Saffron Teaching School Hub, where her responsibilities include Appropriate Body Lead, facilitation of the Early Career Framework and specialist National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), and Initial Teacher Training Lead for Primary.

Alongside her teaching and leadership experience, Kerrie is also an accredited NCETM Mastery Specialist and Professional Development Lead and has supported schools across the region to implement, embed and sustain their mastery curriculum journey.

Dr Sinéad Harmey is a Lecturer in Literacy Education based in the International Literacy Centre at UCL Institute of Education.  

Her literacy research, stemming from her experiences in primary education and as a literacy advisor, focuses on writing development and methodological innovations to track developmental changes and optimise early interventions.  

She is particularly interested in literacy assessment and intervention. Her literacy research has been published in journals including Journal of Writing Research, Reading Research Quarterly and the Journal of Early Childhood Literacy.

She is a member of the editorial review board of The Reading Teacher and The Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk and is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy. 

She has conducted systematic reviews as part of her work on projects funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, Froebel Trust, the Education Endowment Foundation, and the Education and Training Foundation.

Craig is the Director of the London District East Teaching School Hub, based at the Boleyn Trust, representing the London boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Newham. 

In common with all Teaching School Hubs we are working with the Department for Education to roll out the Early Career Framework and NPQ reforms, as part of the government's 'golden thread' of CPD, to aid teacher recruitment and retention nationally. We also run the London District East SCITT rated Outstanding by Ofsted in 2017. 

Craig has been a school leader for over 12 years, including as the Deputy and Head Teacher of inner London primary schools and as Head of School Improvement and Director of Primary at the Boleyn Trust. Craig facilitates on the reformed NPQSL and NPQH and is a Visiting Fellow of Ambition Institute.

Jacqui Buchan

Ruth Smith