Secondary

Since January 2012, Jon Coles has been Group Chief Executive of United Learning.

Ben Antell is the recently appointed Director of Secondary Academies in United Learning. Before taking up this role, Ben was a Regional Director in the trust and previous to that an Executive Principal with a responsibility for schools in Bournemouth and London. Ben is passionate about school improvement and the belief that education is the key to social mobility and future success. Ben also works as an Ofsted inspector in the south-west and counts himself fortunate enough to have worked with some of the leading educationalists in the country through both his Regional Director, Executive Principal and Ofsted roles.

Fiona became Director of Independent Schools in September 2022. She originally joined the organisation in 1995 when it was the Church Schools Company; it later became United Learning. She was Head of Guildford High School from 2002 – 2022. Guildford High became a Teaching School in 2013 and Fiona was appointed an NLE, leading the United Learning Teaching School Alliance from 2013 - 2020.

She has a variety of Governance roles; she is an Associate Director of Cumbria University (since 01.06.21), she is on the Governing body of Epsom College (since 01.11.09) and she is a member of the ‘Learning Partners Academy Trust’. Fiona is on the Advisory Board of the School Partnerships Alliance and she has helped to establish the West Surrey Partnership of all the state and independent schools in the Guildford area. She was Chair of HMC in 2019-2020, and on the Advisory Council of the Institute for Ethical AI in Education (IEAIED) (2018 – 2021). In 2023, Fiona was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list for services to education.

Steve taught History in three London academies, including two senior leadership roles. He has now been with United Learning for nearly 10 years, initially leading on curriculum and subject support and now as a Regional Director. Steve is also an Ofsted inspector. Steve has a Master’s in Education Management and has recently gained the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership.  Steve loves working for United Learning because it provides the chance to visit schools up and down the country and work towards ensuring that all pupils get a great deal when they step through our doors.

Ben has worked in education for over 20 years, as a secondary school science teacher, Advanced Skills Teacher, senior leader and advisor. He joined United Learning as the Science Advisor in January 2016, before becoming Senior Science Advisor in 2018.

Ben has worked in several schools on developing science teaching, both as an AST and as a local authority advisor, as well as leading on teaching and learning across a whole school. Ben also has a MA in Education, with a focus in the impact of feedback on students learning.

Alec has worked in education for over 20 years, as a secondary school mathematics teacher across KS3, 4 and 5, as a Head of Department, a Director of Maths across a cluster of schools and also became an SLE for United Learning in 2016.

Alec has experienced teaching in the U.S education system after being awarded a Fulbright Scholarship as part of an international teacher exchange programme in partnership between the US Department of State and the British Council. The result of this meant he taught mathematics at Bainbridge High School in the state of Washington. 

Alec joined central team at United Learning and became a Secondary Maths Adviser in September 2020 prior to being successfully becoming one of the Co-Director of Maths in November 2024.

This year marks my twentieth year in education, a journey that has taken me through a range of fulfilling roles. I began my career as a classroom teacher and went on to become Head of History and then Head of Humanities, before moving into a trust-wide role.

Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working in trust roles across three multi-academy trusts, gaining valuable experience in school improvement and curriculum development. In January 2025, I was delighted to join United Learning, where I continue to support schools as Director of History.

I recently completed my NPQH, which has further deepened my understanding of leadership at scale. I remain passionate about empowering teachers and leaders to create ambitious, inclusive, and enriching learning environments for all pupils.

Adam started his career in his native North East of England before moving to London. Alongside leading a highly successful languages faculty, Adam has had experience of overseeing whole-school literacy, on-site teacher training induction and has been a whole-school Lead Practitioner. Outside of the classroom, Adam is an examiner, has presented at various conferences, and has had work published as part of the launch materials provided by exam boards ahead of the new GCSE specification. Adam has also authored work in the new Pearson GCSE Spanish textbooks. 

Adam is a firm believer that languages should be for all, regardless of ability or background, and is very interested in how students read - investigating this as part of his final project to become a Chartered Teacher.

For the past twelve years, Shaun has led the strategic development of sport at United Learning, as Head of Sport. A former Head of PE, Shaun advanced to Deputy Headteacher roles in two secondary schools before taking on a national position with the Youth Sport Trust as Head of Raising Achievement.

Shaun’s influence extends across the wider landscape of physical education. He recently completed a successful tenure as Chair of the Leadership Skills Foundation, played a key role on the Association for PE’s national Taskforce in 2021, and was handpicked to join Ofsted’s PE Working Group in 2022. He’s the author of two widely respected books on PE and school sport, and is currently helping to shape the future of the subject advising government on the new national curriculum for Physical Education.

His leadership continues to be recognised at the highest levels. He was recently appointed to the Board for England Rugby Schools, where Shaun played a central role in promoting a structure for the safe and secure playing of rugby in all schools in England.

His expertise has also been recognised internationally, with his work taking him to South Africa, America, and Iraq where he has shared his expertise on a global stage. When he’s not transforming school sport, Shaun channels his energy into triathlon - competing as an athlete and coaching the next generation at his local club. His work is fuelled by a deep belief in the power of sport to change lives - and he’s spent his career proving it.

Lucy works as a Religious Studies subject adviser and classroom teacher at Glenmoor & Winton Academies in Bournemouth. She previously held the roles of Lead Practitioner and Head of Department and is an examiner for both Eduqas and AQA. She delivers the United Teach programme for RS and is an active member of the wider RS community. 

Adriano has worked for United Learning for 11 years, during this time he has worked as Head of Art at Kettering Buccleuch Academy and as a SLE across the trust. Adrian’s SLE work has allowed him to visit a number of our schools across the country, giving support on KS3 curriculum and helping to improve outcomes at KS4 and KS5.

During the pandemic Adriano led a team of teachers to design a key stage 3 art curriculum, create and record lessons for Oak National Academy.

Adriano has recently written for the NSEAD on how the trust is using the ARAEA checklist to improve diversity and representation across the United Learning art curriculum.

Adriano now joins the subject adviser’s team alongside his work as a lead practitioner at Kettering Buccleuch Academy.

James McEvoy-Stevenson is a Music Adviser at United Learning. He began his career with Teach First at the Totteridge Academy, where he was Head of Music. After working in one of the country’s top performing grammar schools, he went on to lead a large Creative Arts faculty in North London. He studied music at the University of Oxford, where he was both a choral and academic scholar. In the classroom, he regularly draws on his experience of singing and conducting in the professional sphere. He has performed throughout the UK and abroad, on Radio 3 and in professional recordings. His formative experiences as a chorister growing up in Liverpool underpin his drive to harness the potential of music to change life chances of young people, as it did for him.

Steve taught History in three London academies, including two senior leadership roles. He has now been with United Learning for nearly 10 years, initially leading on curriculum and subject support and now as a Regional Director. Steve is also an Ofsted inspector. Steve has a Master’s in Education Management and has recently gained the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership.  Steve loves working for United Learning because it provides the chance to visit schools up and down the country and work towards ensuring that all pupils get a great deal when they step through our doors.

Keynote: Leading from the start: building habits that drive impact

Author, speaker, former headteacher, director at the National College for School Leadership, and managing director at United Learning, Andy subsequently founded Leadership Matters, BASIC4schools and Cadogan Press. Andy also chairs the L.E.A.D. Academy Trust. 

A geography teacher by trade, Andy went on to become a headteacher for thirteen years at two schools in east London.  In his second headship, his school was judged outstanding and he was designated a National Leader of Education.  In 2009, he was appointed as a director at the National College for School Leadership and in 2012 was appointed as the managing director of academies at United Learning, one of the largest academy groups in the UK.   

He has written nine books on leadership and coaching, including the best-selling Leadership Matters, BASIC Coaching and BASIC Leadership. In 2018, Andy was invited to become a Founding Fellow of the College of Teaching and in 2019 he established a small independent publishing company, Cadogan Press. 

Tom Bennett was a teacher in the East End of London for thirteen years. Currently he is the Director and founder of researchED, a grass-roots, teacher-led project that aims to make teachers research-literate and pseudo-science proof.

Bruce’s career in educational technology has spanned over 25 years. He used technology in the classroom as a teacher and has led on its deployment as a middle and then senior leader in schools in both the UK and New Zealand. He gained valuable commercial experience whilst working for a leading technology supplier on new school builds and after a brief spell back in school following his period in industry, he joined United Learning 11 years ago. He played a major role in the Group’s ‘Shift to the Cloud’ project, leading on the work to deploy cloud MIS across all the Group’s primary and secondary Academies as well as supporting their moves to Microsoft 365. He has supported community education and sport outside the Group as a Chair of Governors for a local primary school and as head coach and safeguarding lead for his sons’ grass roots rugby club. Bruce is currently Head of Educational Technology and is specifically leading the work to support schools to develop their own digital strategies, including more recently, the strategic use of AI tools in our schools.

Osi Ejiofor is an experienced education expert with over two decades in the field. Starting
as a teaching assistant, he quickly advanced to roles such as teacher, middle leader, and
Assistant Headteacher, specializing in ICT/computing and STEM education in various
London schools. He has made a significant impact in Newham, Redbridge, and Barking
and Dagenham.
Driven by a desire to assist more institutions, Osi founded Osi's Tech Tips, offering expert
advice and training on integrating technology in education. He works with primary,
secondary schools, sixth forms, and independent schools across the UK and globally. As
an Educational Technologist at United Learning, he helps schools in the trust develop
strategies to reduce teacher workload and enhance student learning through technology.
Osi is dedicated to improving educational quality for both students and teachers, helping
them make the most of the technology they already have.

Steve taught History in three London academies, including two senior leadership roles. He has now been with United Learning for nearly 10 years, initially leading on curriculum and subject support and now as a Regional Director. Steve is also an Ofsted inspector. Steve has a Master’s in Education Management and has recently gained the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership.  Steve loves working for United Learning because it provides the chance to visit schools up and down the country and work towards ensuring that all pupils get a great deal when they step through our doors.

Suzanne joined United Learning in 2012, having previously worked at the Department for Education. She is passionate about creating development opportunities for all staff in schools, and nurturing an inclusive environment, where diverse teams can flourish.