Eddie Austin

Chair/ Integration and Transition

Eddie has extensive experience and knowledge of the UK and International staffing sector. Founding Chair of APSCo (Association of Professional Staffing Companies) Education Sector 2013-15. Experienced advisor on delivering public and private sector business integration and operation.
He combines expert knowledge of the resourcing/recruitment and educational software/technology solutions sector with strong leadership, commercial skills and knowledge of fast-moving and evolving/emerging markets to ensure first-class business stewardship.

Nick Gill

Risk

Nick is an experienced Senior Manager, Risk Manager and Head of Safety, Health & Environment, improving performance, reducing risks, increasing operational efficiencies and driving behavioural change across complex technical environments. A Chartered Electrical Engineer, evaluating risk, defining best practice, establishing standards and creating robust frameworks enabling the design and integration of business focussed processes to meet customer needs and an inclusive leader, building motivated teams and consulting with internal and external stakeholders to encourage knowledge transfer and information sharing to deliver best practice, cost-effective solutions for the company, whilst influencing standard practices across industry bodies and regulators.

Ian McGrath

Estates 

Ian is the founder and MD of an Autism charity called Hearts And Minds Challenge, which was set up in 2010. They have supported many families who have children with autism through various difficulties through the Hearts And Minds Challenge. Its mission is to raise the quality of life of individuals and their families affected by autism by ensuring the highest standards in education, care and support, leading to employment and equality of living opportunities. He also works in the construction industry, manages plant hire companies with annual turnovers in excess of 3 million per year, and employs over 40 staff. He has experience in negotiating contracts with major companies in the construction industry both in the UK and Ireland. Ian’s son attends Manor Academy.

Mark Johnson

Company Secretary

Mark Johnson is a dual-qualified solicitor and chartered company secretary with over 23 years of experience advising on commercial arrangements in public services. He has advised on converting many schools to academy status, establishing free schools, forming group structures, and mergers and acquisitions. He serves as the Company Secretary to a community MAT in Cheshire and several social enterprises providing youth and community services in Staffordshire.

John Lomas

Board Member

John has been in education for over 40 years. He spent most of those years in Special Education as a teacher, deputy headteacher and headteacher at a residential/ day special school in Kent.
He was Senior Adviser for SEN and Head of SEN Support Services in Trafford Council for 7 years until 2011.
He is now an SEN Consultant (self-employed) 2011-date. Roles have included Acting Head of SEN (Rochdale) and Acting SEN Assessment Manager (Kirklees).
He was also the LA representative at SEN Tribunals from 2001-2014.

Cole Andrew 

Board Member

For over 30 years, Cole’s career has spanned Primary, Secondary and Specialist settings, consistently achieving positive testimony and outcomes as a teacher and leader.  This included Headships in the Southeast and Northwest of England (mainstream Primary, Specialist Secondary and all age Special School settings). His ethos has a strong background in child development approaches to curriculum planning, assessment, and inclusive classroom pedagogy. Hence, he promotes the Inclusive Learning North values through his skills in coaching teachers in leading strategy that improves inclusive practice and therefore sustains long term impact on outcomes for all pupils. 

Cole has a wide experience in school advisory work, initially as a secondment to the Inclusion and Achievement Team for Kent County Council, fulfilling the role of School Improvement Partner across Secondary, Primary and Special settings, including Alternative Provision.  He has worked with settings across the UK and with international schools and has been Chairperson of a Multi-academy trust in the North of England for 5 years.  He also has over 10 years’ experience in school inspection work.   

Cole’s recent projects included research development with Cumbria University (Marginalised and Co-creative Education project – MACE). This explores young people’s own dialogue around educational engagement or disaffection in order to co-create better education planning systems.  Coming from a background in the care system, he is keen to advocate for the best possible access to education our systems can provide.