The Coaching Team

Helen is a globally well connected, distinguished and internationally recognised educationalist. With a successful executive leadership career in premium secondary and K-12 education over more than 2 decades – both in the UK and internationally – she brings a deep understanding of people, teams, organisations and their drivers, especially in complex organisations. She was awarded the prestigious Tatler School Awards’ ˜Best Head of a Public School” in 2011. She has been Vice-Chair of ISC and President of GSA, and chairs and sits on a number of educational boards in the UK, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Australia. She is extremely well networked, and respected in international educational circles for her advisory work, including with the World Leading Schools’ Association (WLSA). She has worked with LSC Education as an Associate and Executive Coach since 2015.

Caz has worked in education for 30 years and has over 20 years leadership experience and is recognised as an outstanding leader in both the UK and the Middle East.  She has successfully led early years schools, primary schools and through schools and is currently based in the UAE where she works as a Head of School and speaks at conferences as well as supporting educators in their career development. Previously she has worked as an inspector, assessor and education consultant supporting and training leadership teams. She is recognised as a transparent, values driven leader, with a reputation for empowering, developing, and inspiring individuals and teams. Caz actively promotes continuous professional and self-development and believes we are all lifelong learners. She is highly experienced at navigating culturally diverse environments, promoting a culture of respect and trust. She has strong communication and interpersonal skills and uses these to establish, cultivate and maintain effective relationships with all. She is  an expert in early years education, developing leadership teams and creating a positive, caring, supportive, fun, culture, and climate at work. Caz is a qualified leadership coach with the Institute of Leadership and Management and member of the Association for Coaching.  She is a strategic and forward-thinking executive leadership coach, mentor, and educational leader. She coaches individuals in education and industry to be successful leaders both in the UK and internationally. She specialises in coaching leaders to analyse what they want to achieve in their career and to identify any behaviours, personal qualities or other factors that are holding them back from reaching their goals. Through coaching, she develops others to be ambitious, emotionally intelligent, and successful leaders.   She is particularly passionate about empowering female leaders and in particular those at the start of their leadership career.

Susan is qualified coach and Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management and a Master Member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council. Susan has extensive experience in coaching leaders at all levels both individually and as leadership teams. She was a Headteacher for over 20 years, both in the UK and internationally. Susan has worked all over the globe with schools and leaders; improving their provision and supporting them with strategic improvement planning and external accreditation. Susan is a BSO inspector and COBIS lead improvement partner.

Jon is an executive leadership coach, school improvement adviser and mental health and wellbeing instructor based in Somerset, UK. He has extensive and current experience leading and working alongside schools both nationally and internationally. Jon has successfully developed individual leadership capacity working with existing, new and emerging leaders to fulfil their potential and coaching leadership teams on their strategic approach to school improvement. Previous senior roles have included Regional Director for a large Trust of schools and working as a Cluster Leader in the Middle East, leading a team of 20 advisors in 4 schools on the implementation of a new curriculum. Jon specialises in coaching schools and their leaders to make rapid but sustainable improvement by working intensively alongside clearly defined personal goals. More widely, Jon is a Leadership Performance Coach contributing to a range of NPQ awards. As a Mental Health and Wellbeing Instructor (MHFA, England), Jon has trained over 400 mental health first aiders (UK and internationally) to better support colleagues in the work place and beyond. Jon holds the Certificate for Executive and Senior Level Coaches and Mentors (ILM level 7) and is a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.

A qualified coach with the Institute of Leadership and Management and a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council, Matthew also co-leads, with Dr Helen Wright, LSC's hugely popular #betterboards course.Formerly Principal at an award-winning international school in the Middle East, Matthew spent almost 25 years teaching in and leading schools in the UK and overseas. Through his expertise in a #wellbeingfirst approach to data and assessment in schools, Matthew has written and presented across the globe on #themonalisaeffect®, and has worked with thousands of educators in hundreds of schools across more than 60 countries to help every single child to be seen, be known and belong. Matthew also has a global voice on, and is actively engaging in constructive conversations about, child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing, and about diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. He lives on the Isle of Skye with his wife and atypical dog.

Louise is an experienced educator and former Head of a bilingual school in Switzerland, where she successfully led the school through a change of ownership. Currently based between Hong Kong and the UK, Louise has lived and worked in Europe, Asia and the USA, making her fully aware of the challenges and rewards for both individuals and schools in transition. A certified Coach and member of the International Coach Federation (ICF), Louise also develops and facilitates leadership, conflict transformation and organisational culture programmes, working with senior leadership teams both in education and the corporate world. Louise’s strength is holding the client’s larger agenda whilst opening up possibilities to make tangible differences for dealing with day to day issues. Her calmness, acute listening skills and intuitive approach enable leaders to approach challenging issues with renewed energy and perspective. She has Board experience in both the UK & Switzerland. She is an approved COBIS consultant and certified in the use of the Leadership Circle and Culture Assessment Profiles.

Dr Sarah Howling is an experienced international school leader, highly qualified leadership coach (accredited with the Institute of Leadership and Management and the International Association of Coaching) and education consultant. Her passion is accelerating leadership, and supporting and encouraging others to connect to their strengths and to flourish. She is an expert in coaching in education, leadership development, and professional and organisational learning. As an experienced international school Principal, Sarah has worked in leading schools in Dubai, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires and currently in Kuala Lumpur. She has successfully created thriving coaching cultures building increased individual, team and organisational capacity, resulting in improved student outcomes and wellbeing, increased staff engagement, and significantly reduced staff turnover. She integrates the latest findings in the science of leadership, psychology, and organisational excellence into her work. She believes that building professional capacity and community, prioritising people and coaching, and creating a culture of support and accountability, is central to move organisations forward.

Anna has worked as a Leadership & Professional Development Coach for over twenty years. Most recently she worked as a full-time coach for a top tier, global professional services/organisational consulting company. She worked most extensively with senior leaders supporting coaching projects within top Fortune 100 multinationals across diversified industries in EMEA, APAC and NA regions. One of Anna’s key roles was to provide 1-year executive coaching to MBA students from one of the world’s top academic institutions.  Anna possesses a PGCE and has worked for several leading international universities including BPP Law School, University of Essex, Regent's University London and St Georges University of London as well as many colleges and schools. Anna is excellent at proving a coaching safe space of non-judgmental, mutual trust and understanding where individuals can grow in confidence, discover their natural strengths and elevate their self-awareness to ultimately perform at a higher level. Her coaching style is transparent, motivational and solution orientated. Anna specializes in leadership, performance, career change and retirement coaching.

Mike Buchanan is the Founder of Positively Leading, a bespoke coaching consultancy focused on understanding, improvement and fulfilment.  He is currently writing a book with the same title due for publication and is the course leader/designer for the Independent Executive MBA accredited by the University of Buckingham and the National College for Education in the UK. He has been coaching and mentoring school leaders for more than a decade as well as acting as a school reviewer, improvement partner and leadership development specialist. Mike’s interests and experiences are in organisational culture and climate, coaching for improved performance, leadership, inspection, character development, the use of positive psychology to promote well-being in education and the role of independent schools within the worldwide educational landscape. He is Executive Head of the world’s leading school for elite skiers - Apex2100 and was most recently the Executive Director of HMC, the English-speaking world’s oldest association of Head Teachers. As Head of Ashford School he oversaw its transformation from a small girls’ school to a thriving all-age, co-educational day/boarding, independent school of over 1,000 children and young people. Mike has experience in secondary education, all-through schools and boarding, and has held a variety of leadership posts in London and elsewhere. He helped to establish three state-funded schools in London and Kent. He is or has been a trustee of several independent and state schools in the UK and internationally, a trustee of a children’s charity, a Reporting Inspector, a UK National Leader of Education and a qualified Executive Coach. He is a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and Chair of the International Positive Education Network (UKEurope). Born and partially educated in Australia, he fell in love with an Englishwoman but regularly returns to God's own country.

David is a highly experienced teacher and school leader who held leadership positions in schools across 3 nations from 1984 – 2016, including 20 years a Head or Principal in UK state and international schools. He is now an accredited coach with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council and he now spends most of his time as a leadership development coach, working directly with individuals and teams in schools in locations as diverse as Sofia, Mexico City, Bangkok and Doncaster. David places great emphasis on the relationship between the coach and the coaching partner. He views the coach as a fellow companion who explores values and meaning alongside the coaching partner, giving them a safe, reflective space to develop new understanding and enhanced agency. At the centre of this is the exploration of values, helping partners to address immediate issues but also encouraging long lasting personal development and sense of direction. He is conscious also that coaching develops individuals but ultimately is a social process that should deliver sustainable impact for the collective good.