School Inspections Wales Conference

Claire graduated from Salford University in 1992 with a Chemistry degree before completing a PGCE in Liverpool in 1993. 
  
Claire began her teaching career at Park High School in Birkenhead where she became a pastoral leader and then a curriculum leader. In 2000, she moved to the Heath School in Runcorn as a Head of Science before joining its leadership team as an Assistant Headteacher for teaching and learning in 2003. 
 
In 2006, Claire became the Deputy Headteacher of Rhosnesni High School in Wrexham before moving to Rhyl in 2010.  
 
Claire is passionate about allowing all children to achieve and our joint responsibility to make this happen. She believes in the power of our collaboration in Wales to allow our children to receive the education they deserve to become the best versions of themselves 
 
Claire was ASCL Cymru Vice President 2021-22 and President 2022-24.  

Dr Matt Hutt is Head of Education within the Faculty of Life Sciences and Education at the University of South Wales. His research focuses on trust and inclusive educational leadership. Before working in higher education, Matt was a senior leader in secondary schools for thirteen years and a peer inspector. Prior to that, he was an English teacher and head of department in both England and Wales. Matt has contributed to a variety of contracted research projects in the domain of education studies over the last eight years as both project leader and research team member. He is the co-editor of the recently published Working with Uncertainty for Educational Change (2024, Conn, Mitchell and Hutt).

Evenlode Primary School have recently been recognised by Estyn for their strong whole-school approach to self-evaluation.

Emma is the Headteacher at Bishop Vaughan Catholic Comprehensive School in Swansea. Her teaching specialisms include English, Latin and Classics and prior to working in senior leadership she was Head of Sixth Form for several years. Emma also works as a commissioned School Improvement Adviser within the Local Authority and mentors on the NPQH and Church Schools Leadership programmes.

Bishop Vaughan serves pupils from a particularly diverse range of backgrounds. It has embraced the opportunity presented by the Curriculum for Wales to develop an academic offering that reflects its mission and purpose in nurturing them. Colleagues throughout the school have endeavoured to bind together the ‘why’ with the ‘how’ and the ‘what’ of teaching and learning at Bishop Vaughan and in doing so, have focused intensively on professional learning.

St Paul’s Church in Wales Primary School’s inquiry-based curriculum has recently been identified as effective practice by Estyn.

Meinir Thomas has been Headteacher at Ysgol Llanhari, a 3-19 school in Rhondda Cynon Taf since September 2022. Previously she was Deputy Headteacher at the school for seven years. She started her teaching career at Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr in Swansea as a German and French teacher before moving as Subject Leader for Modern Foreign Languages to Ysgol Gyfun Bro Morgannwg in 2000, as one of the original team of staff which established the Vale of Glamorgan’s first Welsh Medium comprehensive school. She has worked at Ysgol Llanhari since 2015 and notes that leading a school with an age range from nursery to sixth form is both as interesting as it is rewarding!

After graduating from Bath Spa University, I began my career at St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School in the diverse area of Cathays in Cardiff. During the early part of my career I was fortunate to have the opportunity to study Education and Bilingual Learning at Swansea Metropolitan University, with a focus on teaching children with English as an Additional Language, Ethnic Minority Achievement and race equality. During my time at St Monica’s I was able to prove myself as a successful class teacher, and ALNCo, especially adept at supporting children and families who were newly arrived to Wales with no previous experience of the English or Welsh language.

In September 2018, I moved to Kitchener Primary School in the Riverside area of Cardiff where I continues to support children and families from global majority backgrounds as part of my current role as Assistant Head Teacher. I have a deep personal commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and, after completing the DARPL Enhanced Leadership training, have passionately led the school in its antiracist work.

Claire graduated from Salford University in 1992 with a Chemistry degree before completing a PGCE in Liverpool in 1993. 
  
Claire began her teaching career at Park High School in Birkenhead where she became a pastoral leader and then a curriculum leader. In 2000, she moved to the Heath School in Runcorn as a Head of Science before joining its leadership team as an Assistant Headteacher for teaching and learning in 2003. 
 
In 2006, Claire became the Deputy Headteacher of Rhosnesni High School in Wrexham before moving to Rhyl in 2010.  
 
Claire is passionate about allowing all children to achieve and our joint responsibility to make this happen. She believes in the power of our collaboration in Wales to allow our children to receive the education they deserve to become the best versions of themselves 
 
Claire was ASCL Cymru Vice President 2021-22 and President 2022-24.