About The Excellence Hub

Delivering excellence in education.

The Excellence Hub is a panel of 25 and growing leading education experts, partnering with schools and trusts to turn ambition into measurable impact for pupils, staff, and communities.

25+
Leading education experts on our panel, with new specialists joining as we scale.
Core Services

How we support schools and trusts.

01
School Improvement

Deep-dive consultancy that identifies root causes of underperformance and co-designs bespoke improvement journeys with leadership teams.

Ofsted ReadinessSelf-EvaluationStrategy
02
Training & CPD

Transformative professional development programmes for teachers, middle leaders, and senior leaders.

INSET DaysLeadership PathwaysSubject CPD
03
Recruitment

Specialist education recruitment connecting schools with exceptional talent from classroom teachers to headteachers.

Headteacher SearchSLT PlacementInterim
04
Coaching & Supervision

One-to-one executive coaching and professional supervision for headteachers and senior leaders navigating modern school leadership pressures.

Executive CoachingSupervisionWellbeing
Panel of Experts

Meet the specialists
behind the Hub.

Our panel comprises a team of bespoke experts to help you in any phase and at any stage of your improvement journey.

Photo of Luke Bowers: CEO
Luke

Founder & CEO

Luke is a distinguished and authentic executive leader with a wealth of experience in the education sector. He is renowned for his unwavering commitment to improving attendance and outcomes for children and young people. His extensive expertise spans all phases of education, where he has consistently demonstrated his ability to foster positive change and drive improvement. Luke takes a data-driven and research-informed approach to improvement, which ensures both effective and timely strategies are utilised. His analytical acumen and innovative problem-solving skills have made him a valuable contributor to various Department for Education working parties and national panels, where he shares his insights and expertise on pressing educational issues.

Patrick: Coaching Expert
Patrick

Coaching Expert

Patrick is a highly successful and inspirational educator, leader, facilitator and coach with a profound legacy in transforming educational landscapes. With extensive experience as a Principal and Executive Leader, he has left an indelible mark across secondary, primary and special schools. Patrick is a distinguished expert in leadership development, mentoring aspiring, new, and seasoned headteachers and CEOs, especially those navigating complex challenges in both the UK and international contexts. Patrick's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is unwavering. As an advocate and ally, he has voluntarily coached nearly 100 women into leadership positions, including headship, executive headship and CEO roles. This is an embodiment of his dedication to nurturing a more representative and equitable educational leadership workforce in England.

Richard: Change Management Expert
Richard

Change Management Expert

Richard came to prominence when, as a headteacher he turned around a failing school in the UK in under two years. Winning plaudits globally, Richard was labelled 'The Walt Disney of The Classroom' by the UK media, and went on to win a multitude of international awards including a UNESCO award for leadership and innovation, Global Gurus Top 30 Thinker, and The National Teaching Awards, Headteacher of the Year.​ His impactful and sustainable leadership philosophies and strategies for change, have seen him work with iconic brands, organisations and individuals including Google, Microsoft, Deloitte, Visa, and GSK, President Obama, The Dalai Lama, Steve Wozniak and Eric Schmidt. He has spoken to audiences worldwide, including in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, China, Russia, The UAE, Mexico, Chile, Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil and Spain.

Emma
Emma

Primary Expert

Emma is a highly respected leader, author and practitioner in primary education, with over 25 years of experience that spans classroom teaching, senior leadership, headship, advisory roles and academic contributions. She is a trusted member of a Department for Education (DfE) advisory group in the UK, focusing on workforce remodelling and flexible working strategies. She also collaborates with the Chartered College of Teaching as a specialist curriculum consultant, contributing to their Rethinking Curriculum project. Emma is also a leading advocate for integrating cognitive science into primary education. Her bestselling book, Initium: Cognitive Science and research informed primary practice, explores how principles of neuroscience and child development can inform teaching practices in primary settings.

Radha
Radha

T&L and History Expert

Radha is an esteemed educator and one of the youngest global majority Headteachers in the UK. Her approach is centred around fostering excellence in teaching, learning, and inclusive leadership. With a robust academic background in History, and a progressive trajectory in educational leadership, Radha has demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing both pedagogical practice and school improvement. As a Headteacher Radha was instrumental in leading the school through rigorous external inspections, including Ofsted and Trust-wide reviews, while ensuring that key performance indicators were met. Her leadership is marked by a strategic approach to continuous professional development, fiscal responsibility, and the successful implementation of Trust policies aimed at enhancing equality and diversity within the school and its broader community.

Matt
Matt

EYFS Expert

Matt is a dynamic and visionary leader in the education sector with over 25 years of dedicated service. Throughout his career, he has excelled in numerous roles from classroom teaching to strategic leadership positions, garnering extensive expertise as a deputy head teacher, headteacher, and strategic leader of a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT). His career also spans influential roles as a local authority strategic leader, Primary Partnership CEO and consultant director, each position reflecting his commitment to nurturing excellence in educational practice. Matt’s pioneering work in system leadership has transformed early years settings and schools alike. By spearheading innovative partnership and collaborative initiatives, he has created environments where both schools and early years settings flourish together.

Peter
Peter

Executive Leadership Specialist

Peter is a distinguished education leader and executive leadership expert with a career defined by transformative leadership, strategic vision, and a relentless commitment to educational excellence. As the new Executive Leadership Expert at The Excellence Hub, Peter brings a wealth of knowledge and a profound understanding of system leadership, school improvement and governance. With a legacy of leading complex educational organisations, Peter has consistently driven meaningful change, improved educational standards and empowered leaders. His strategic insights and hands-on experience have made him a sought-after advisor on the Register of External Experts for the Department for Education (DfE). At The Excellence Hub, Peter is dedicated to empowering educational leaders, fostering strategic leadership, and advancing a culture of continuous improvement.

Sam
Sam

Post-16 Expert & Pupil Premium Champion

Samantha is a highly accomplished educational leader with extensive experience in strategic leadership, school improvement and championing equity in education. Samantha is deeply passionate about increasing post-16 progression rates, particularly for first-generation university applicants and has led initiatives that have significantly boosted higher education placements. She has also developed nationally recognised CPD programs, training over 2,600 educators in leadership, early career development and specialist qualifications. In her role at The Excellence Hub, she is committed to enhancing Sixth Form provision and driving impactful Pupil Premium strategies to ensure all students have the opportunity to excel.

Hannah
Hannah

Inclusion Expert

Hannah is a distinguished educational consultant, inclusion specialist and thought leader with over 20 years of experience dedicated to enhancing educational outcomes for children and young people. Her expertise spans the strategic leadership areas of behaviour management and SEND, with a particular emphasis on embedding systemic and cultural transformation within schools, alternative provisions (AP) and multi-academy trusts (MATs). As the Acting Principal of a secondary Alternative Provision, she led institution-wide reforms to improve outcomes for students with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, Looked After Children (LAC), and those with Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs). Her strategic interventions have consistently reduced exclusion rates, notably achieving a permanent exclusion rate of just 0.01% in Enfield, ranking among the lowest nationally.

Parven
Parven

E-Safety Expert

Parven is the founder of Kids n Clicks, an innovative platform empowering parents, educators and children to thrive in the digital age. With a rich blend of expertise in digital strategy, content creation and education, Parven has become a trusted advocate for modernising schools’ approaches to digital learning and online safety. A respected voice in the digital parenting space, Parven’s expertise has been featured across major media outlets, including the BBC, Talk TV, and numerous others. Through Kids n Clicks, Parven continues to build resources and communities that support schools and parents in navigating the complexities of the digital era.

John-Paul
John-Paul

Safeguarding Expert

John-Paul has amassed a wealth of experience as a leader and safeguarding specialist, with a career dedicated to improving school environments, safeguarding practices, and student well-being. His extensive experience spans multiple high-impact roles where he has combined strategic leadership with a deep commitment to child protection and inclusion, showcasing his expertise across various schools. As one of the Partnership Leads for the Department for Education’s flagship Behaviour Hubs programme, John-Paul's influence has been far-reaching. He leads a national programme supporting 17 lead schools. His efforts include coaching senior leaders and contributing to national workshops. His work has garnered exceptional feedback, illustrating his role in fostering safer, more inclusive school environments.

Uzma
Uzma

Maths Expert

Uzma is a highly experienced and effective Maths leader and has worked across a number of very high performing schools and trusts where she delivered exceptional outcomes. Her expertise in improving outcomes earned her a position on the PiXL Maths Associate Group, where she contributed to exam writing and resource development; providing strategic advice that improved outcomes in a number of settings. Uzma works as a School Improvement Partner, focusing on mathematics across various multi-academy trusts and schools. In this role, she offers a clear and inspiring vision for schools, delivering leadership training, CPD and guidance on effective teaching practices. With a strong commitment to excellence and a focus on driving measurable improvement, Uzma continues to make a significant impact in education, inspiring both teachers and students to reach their full potential.

Tom
Tom

English Expert

Tom is an outstanding English educator with over 20 years of experience including roles as a state secondary English teacher, Head of Department, Assistant Headteacher and Education Advisor to the United Nations 2030hub. Diagnosed with dyslexia post-BA, Tom has developed a 'skill-by-skill' and 'step-by-step' approach to curriculum design and assessment. This methodology has been instrumental in reducing cognitive overload and improving the educational experience and outcomes for teachers, leaders and students. Tom is the founder of EdenFiftyOne (EFO), an award-winning, government-funded edtech platform. EFO promotes 51 core skills central to English education, embodying Tom’s bite-sized approach by allowing teachers and students to progress one skill at a time.

Sarah
Sarah

Science Expert

Sarah brings a wealth of experience in education, with a varied and successful background as a Director of Science, Lead Practitioner, and Senior Leader in a number of settings. She has developed a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities presented across different educational environments. Her work is characterised by a commitment to integrating the latest educational research with practical application, ensuring that the resources she develops are not only engaging but also effective in enhancing student learning. Passionate about empowering both teachers and students, Sarah is dedicated to making a lasting impact on the field of science education. Her expertise, combined with her enthusiasm for STEM, drives her mission to inspire the next generation of scientists and educators.

Tony
Tony

Secondary Expert

Tony has been a senior leader in secondary schools for over 20 years, having led two schools, one as Vice Principal for behaviour and attitudes and one as Principal, to becoming OFSTED ‘good’ for the first time in their history. Tony was the Principal of a large 11-18 mixed comprehensive in the East Midlands in December 2023, having led the team that improved its progress 8 score from -0.7 to Zero and being a solid ‘good’ school. He is now an Executive Principal and Senior Leadership advisor, leading school improvement in Swindon and South Yorkshire. Tony specialises in Secondary school leadership development and school improvement both quality of education and pastoral support having extensive experience in both. He is a qualified mountain leader and outdoor education specialist and loves learning beyond the classroom, particularly the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Sara
Sara

Attendance Expert

Sara brings over 35 years of expertise in education, attendance and early help to her role as our Attendance Expert. Highly respected in the field, she was awarded an MBE for Services to Education in 2022; a reflection of her enduring commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people. Sara currently works across three key roles: as a DfE Attendance Adviser supporting local authorities, as an independent consultant helping schools and MATs improve attendance and as a national trainer, designing and delivering sessions for schools, trusts, governors, local authorities and partner agencies. Her influence extends internationally, with contributions to global research, including the publication From Attendance Data to Student Support: International Practices for Recording, Reporting, and Using Data on School Attendance and Absence.

Antony
Antony

MAT Growth Expert

Antony joins The Excellence Hub as our MAT Growth Expert, bringing over two decades of senior leadership experience across the education sector, with a particular focus on multi-academy trust (MAT) growth, school improvement and strategic transformation. Antony regularly speaks at national MAT Growth Conferences and is a trusted advisor on collaborative growth models and sustainable MAT expansion. He is known for his calm, personable style, deep system knowledge and ability to distil complex processes into clear, actionable plans. At The Excellence Hub, Antony leads on all aspects of MAT growth and school conversion, offering hands-on support and strategic insight to help trusts expand with confidence, integrity and long-term impact.

Nathan
Nathan

Metacognition Expert

Nathan is a renowned teacher educator, working with schools, education organisations and educators across the world to develop high-quality teaching practice. Working in a number of UK based schools, Nathan worked as a pastoral leader, More Able coordinator, metacognition lead, and lately, as a Head of Maths. During his time in the classroom, Nathan wrote two well received books on metacognition - Inspiring Deep Learning and Teaching Hacks - exploring how the theory can be effectively applied in the classroom. Nathan now leads high-quality professional development, as well as Maths-specific training for organisations including the Maths Hub. You will often find Nathan presenting research at the latest teaching conference, as well as online, posting on socials as Mr Metacognition.

Martyn
Martyn

Operations Expert

Martyn's background includes serving as Head of Education for a large Local Authority, where he was responsible for statutory compliance and the performance of over 50 maintained schools. Martyn’s expertise extends beyond educational leadership to encompass comprehensive operational management. He has served as a senior manager in the £300 million Building Schools for the Future program, where he successfully project managed the construction and refurbishment of 10 schools. His hands-on experience in estates management includes overseeing large-scale building projects, facilities maintenance, and ensuring the safety and functionality of educational environments. Outside of his work in education, Martyn is a director of an events and hospitality management company, where he further applies his operational and leadership skills in a commercial context.

Amit
Amit

Parent Support Expert

Amit is a renowned coach, consultant, and advocate for modern-day parental inclusivity in both educational and corporate settings. As the founder of For Working Parents, Amit specialises in guiding schools and organisations to develop tailored, effective programmes that meet the unique needs of 21st-century parents. Drawing on his extensive background as a Deputy Headteacher, where he led innovative parental engagement strategies and strategic school improvements, Amit is dedicated to fostering workplaces and educational environments that fully support parents in achieving balance and fulfilment. In addition to his consulting work, Amit hosts the podcast What Do Parents Know?, an engaging media for discussing the realities and pressures of raising teenagers today. He also serves as a trustee for Making Mum Proud and actively supports initiatives that champion parental well-being.

Sally: Menopause Expert
Sally

Menopause Expert

Sally is a seasoned health, fitness, and lifestyle coach with over 15 years of experience dedicated to empowering women through their fitness journeys, with a special emphasis on menopause health. As the founder of SB Wellbeing, she has built a thriving practice around holistic wellness, focusing on strength, resilience, and overall well-being for women at various life stages. Sally’s unique approach is both empathetic and evidence-based, as she blends physical training, emotional support, and nutritional guidance to help her clients confidently navigate the menopausal transition. Her commitment to fostering inclusive, menopause-aware workplaces, especially within the education sector, underscores her belief that every woman deserves to feel empowered, supported, and respected through all stages of life.

Damian
Damian

Alternative Provision Expert

Damian is a highly accomplished and visionary leader with extensive experience across diverse educational settings. His dedication to supporting the most vulnerable students in the education system drives his work, particularly in creating inclusive and nurturing environments that enable all pupils to thrive. Currently, Damian is part of an expert team that has pioneered a therapeutic-inspired Alternative Provision in the East Midlands, focusing on innovative approaches to education and well-being for students who need it most. Passionate about building resilient and high-performing educational communities, Damian continues to shape the future of education with his innovative vision and unwavering commitment to excellence.

Laura
Laura

Clerking Expert

Laura is a highly skilled, knowledgeable and passionate clerk and governance professional with more than 20 years of dedicated service in the educational sector. Beyond her clerking responsibilities, Laura is a thought leader in the field. She writes articles for leading platforms like The Key and GovernorHub, engages in collaborative efforts such as co-hosting podcasts with the National Governance Association (NGA), and curates her own widely read newsletter, Governance Updates, which offers practical insights for school leaders and governors alike. Laura’s dedication to governance is driven by her belief in the transformative power of strong leadership and effective school management. Her work continues to make a lasting impact on schools and academies.

Richard: Governance Expert
Richard

Governance Expert

With over thirty years in the education sector and two decades in senior leadership roles, Richard is a distinguished expert in educational governance. His extensive experience spans roles such as Headship, Director, and CEO, showcasing a deep proficiency in steering educational institutions toward excellence. Richard is a highly successful and decorated governor and trustee. He was awarded the prestigious National Leader of Governance status in 2017 having worked as the Chair of Governors in a school which improved from Inadequate to an Outstanding Ofsted rating. Richard is also a seasoned Governor Trainer and has led governance in a large Multi-Academy Trust encompassing over 30 schools. He has been instrumental in guiding Governing Bodies through crucial reviews and Headteacher Performance Management processes.

Sally: Data Expert
Sally

Data Expert

With over two decades of experience in the education sector, Sally has established herself as a highly effective and accomplished leader in educational data governance and strategic management. Currently, Sally specialises in advising multi-academy trusts (MATs) on the strategic management of their data, while also offering consultancy to software providers, helping them tailor product development to meet the evolving demands of MATs. Sally's extensive career includes significant roles within Children’s Services at local authorities, along with valuable experience in children's social care and collaborative work with central government departments. Her mission at Edwards Data Solutions is to empower educational organisations to thrive in the digital era by embedding data excellence into their operational fabric.