Speakers

• Dave Lee-Allan Headteacher
  

  Dave Lee-Allan

  Headteacher

  Dave is Headteacher at Stowmarket High School and voluntary Chair of the Suffolk Assocation of Secondary Headteachers (SASH).

  Stowmarket High School is part of the Waveney Valley Academies Trust – a forward-thinking, fast developing school with an outward-facing philosophy.

  Since Dave took on headship at Stowmarket, he has overseen a fabulous new build and the transition to the Waveney Valley Academies Trust, and has been a key strategy board member of the International Festival of Learning.

  With a background in the arts, Dave believes in developing all aspects of a child’s creativity and academic improvement and this permeates his work as a driver of high quality education for his students and community.

• Nigel Burgoye Chief Executive
  

  Nigel Burgoye

  Chief Executive

  Nigel Burgoyne is the former headteacher of Kesgrave High School and CEO of the East Anglian Schools Trust (EAST).
  With decades of leadership experience, SASH was delighted to appoint Nigel in September 2020. Nigel’s plans for SASH are rooted in consultation with as many headteachers as possible from around Suffolk, developing a vision for the current and future context.
  “At a time when relationships and mutual support is so important, SASH is stepping up, listening to colleagues and putting solutions in place to remove barriers and empower leadership”

• Rob Walden Director of Education
  

  Rob Walden

  Director of Education

  My experience is underpinned by 25 years in education and business, and I have held posts as a teacher, Assistant Headteacher, Partnership Manager, Education Technology Consultant, Marketer, and Business Director.

  Now, as Director of Real World Education, I am excited to lead within networks and partnerships who share a common mission – to foster a long-term approach to education and business, and to optimise the relationship between technology and uniquely human skills.

  I feel fortunate to have been trusted with some special projects over the years – supporting and influencing education in the UK, China, Iraq and Rwanda.

  Strategy and Implementation – my favoured approach is to turn words into actions, not just more words.

  Business focus areas:

  – The use of technology to improve remote working and de-centralised partnership environments
  – Partnership development planning and curation of networks
  – China-UK relations, exchange, teacher training and advisory
  – Education to business partnership development and strategy
  – Education & training marketing strategy and execution
  – Event strategy, planning and management

  Education Development:

  – Full stack web hub development (including listings sites and membership networking platforms (e.g. sashonline.org)
  – Web content and resource development (e.g. TeachPE.com / sportsinjuryclinic.net)
  – Leading cultural change in the use of technology for learning
  – Marketing through partnerships
  – Leadership support and mentoring
  – Student leadership methods
  – Teaching and coaching method in Physical Education and Sport
  “With the recent shift in mindset in Edtech, we can develop something really special in support of human relationships, as the dust settles on a kind of ‘Gold Rush’ of technology companies. Connections between people in communities are at the core of our thinking when building technology – whether that’s online or face-to-face.

  Sometimes the tools we have for connecting beyond the walls of the school are disjointed – and ultimately lead to mountains of unfiltered emails that can be more confusing than valuable.

• Tom Middlehurst Curriculum and Inspection Specialist
  

  Tom Middlehurst

  Curriculum and Inspection Specialist

  Before joining ASCL in September 2020, Tom worked as head of policy and public affairs for a large schools’ membership organisation, with a particular focus on principled curriculum design, assessment, qualification reform, and teacher workload. In this role, he spoke at a range of conferences and events, as well as designing and delivering bespoke professional development and policy updates for schools, trusts and headteacher associations. He has sat on a number of DfE and education sector advisory groups and written a number of books including On Curriculum and Deep Experience for Social Justice.

  Tom previously worked as an English lead in a sponsored academy, and has extensive experience of governance in both the maintained and academies sectors.