[SLP] Deputy and Assistant Heads Conference 2023

Justin Spanswick

BSc(Hons) PGCE NPQH

Justin has worked for 25 years in schools, with 15 years as a senior leader. His roles include Headteacher at Junior level where he led significant change in the academic curriculum, Deputy Headteacher (pastoral) at Secondary level, and he has just finished his fourth year as an Executive Headteacher. Justin specialises in all safeguarding matters, school leadership, and compliance. He also works with his local authority chairing their Quality and Effectiveness of Safeguarding boards, and he consults for a national safeguarding scrutineer group. Having worked as both a Compliance and Team Inspector, Justin is now a Reporting Inspector for ISI.

Karen Barker

BSc (Hons), PGCE, SpLD APC (Patoss)

Karen trained as a secondary science teacher, but her 30-year career has taken her into primary education, A-Level psychology teaching and special education. She is a Deputy Head & SENDCo, responsible for Learning Enhancement and Development at the school that currently holds the ISA Award for Outstanding Provision for Learning Support.

As a specialist teacher assessor, who holds a diagnostic Assessment Practicing Certificate, she has extensive experience in assessment and data interpretation. She has been responsible for developing whole school assessment, and works with teachers to use data effectively to inform teaching and learning, as well as explaining the discrepancies, which can impact progress.

Nicola Griffiths

MA (Oxon) PGCE (Oxon) NPQH

Nicola is currently Principal at a GSA school in Essex and previously was a Deputy and Acting Head in a top performing school in Suffolk. She has always had a passion for all girls’ education, particularly in STEM and has championed this from early on her career when she was Head of Biology and Science at boarding schools in Oxfordshire and Kent where she significantly raised the academic profile of her departments. As a Senior Leader, Nicola has led successful change management in preparation for both compliance and full ISI inspections, securing strong outcomes for her schools. This has involved raising academic standards, employing distributed leadership practices and developing strong links with governors.

Mike Crossley

Mike Crossley retired as Headmaster of Langley Preparatory School in 2022.

He is a very experienced Mental Health First Aid & NUCO registered Youth Instructor, having trained over 300 teachers and adults working with children, since qualifying as an MHFA instructor in 2016

He is also a qualified Designated Mental Health Lead and is currently involved in the training of key staff nationwide in this respect. Notably, his last school is the proud recipient of the acclaimed Optimus Wellbeing Award for schools.

With over 25 years’ experience as a senior manager in three leading schools, and fourteen years as a Head, Mike offers a wealth of knowledge in the world of education in general and has recently started additional work as a freelance mental health instructor for a leading mental health trust.

Mike is also a much practised ISI school Inspector, experienced leadership and middle management trainer and he qualified as a Head through the government’s National Professional Qualification for Headship scheme via the National College of School Leadership. He is also an ILM Level 7 executive coach and mentor who is currently working with newly appointed Heads for IAPS.