Author List

Martha Boyne is a secondary school science teacher who has recently completed her MA in education. Martha has published research and also writes for the successful Thrive in Teaching blog. She has presented at numerous education events on the subject of how teachers can be supported to incorporate evidence-based practice into their teaching.

Former headmaster Michael Brearley was widely experienced in secondary education, and had a long-standing interest in engaging students more fully in their learning. His applied research at the University of East Anglia focused on teacher behaviour and how it impacted on students' learning; he also examined the role of mediation and the work of Carl Rogers. Michael's later research into emotional intelligence explored its practical application in the education and business sectors, particularly its effect upon performance as a teacher and leader.

Marie-Claire Bretherton trained as a teacher before becoming a head teacher in Lincolnshire, where she led three very different schools to secure improved outcomes for pupils, including in the most challenging of circumstances. She is now Deputy CEO of Waterton Academy Trust.

Leonie Briggs is a science teacher, STEAM lead, STEM Ambassador, CREST Assessor and Director of Amazelab. With a varied background in STEM – ranging from veterinary and general practice to orthopaedics – she eventually discovered her passion for education and has held various roles as a primary, secondary, post 16 and alternative provision teacher specialising in science and chemistry.

Leonie’s dedication has won her multiple accolades, including ‘Outstanding New STEM Ambassador’ (STEM Inspiration Awards 2022), nominations for the Global Teacher Prize (2021) and the National Teaching Awards (2022), recognition as one of the UK’s Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs (2025) and a Green Growth Awards finalist (2025).

Under her leadership, Amazelab has won UK Enterprise Awards for STEAM Education (2023 & 2024), Start-Up Business of the Year (2022) and STEAM Education Platform of the Year (2025).

Twice a chief education officer – once in Oxfordshire and once in Birmingham, each time for 10 years – and he lead the London Challenge, which Tim Brighouse said he had learned from most of his many mistakes as a teacher, teacher educator and administrator. He believed in the power of teachers and schools to change the world for the better.

As founder of Innate Leaders – and as a psychological coach, management consultant, and writer – Joe Britto has worked with a wide range of entrepreneurs and leadership teams across the non-profit, public, and private sectors. His grounding in experiential learning, along with his studies in literary theory and psychological coaching, has allowed him to create a unique methodology that has successfully facilitated sustainable results.

Click here to read Joe Britto’s blog.

Matt Bromley is an education writer and advisor with over twenty years’ experience in teaching and leadership including as a secondary school headteacher, FE college vice principal, and multi-academy trust director. Matt is a journalist, public speaker, ITT lecturer, and school improvement advisor. He also remains a practising teacher, working in secondary, FE and HE settings. Matt writes for various magazines, is the author of numerous best-selling books on education, and co-hosts the award-winning SecEd podcast.

Terri is a passionate lifelong learner and teacher. She is a coach, leader, teacher, a mother and grandmother, a published writer an artist. She has worked as a successful acting head teacher for the past year and before that she worked for four years as a Vice Principal (teaching and learning) at an academy in Norfolk. The leadership and management of the academy have been described as Good' under her leadership.

Terri became an Advanced Skills Teacher in 1999, working with leadership teams and staff to share ideas and current thinking in learning. She was nominated for the National Teaching Awards for five consecutive years running. She creates a wonderful rapport and relationships with both staff and students. She truly puts them first and seeks out the coaching conversations that are needed to improve learning. She is compassionate, respectful and challenging - being beside someone and sticking to that. Helping them to find the best of themselves.

Terri was fundamental to developing the Student commission for an academy in Norfolk, which involved the students talking about learning; a serious group with real aims. It began as a small group of 7 and has grown to over 70 and continues to expand with eager students keen to take a serious role in learning. She introduced Independent Learning Projects into an academy, from their first Big Project to a whole academy Community Day which included work with primaries, secondary's, and further education.

Terri enjoys travelling to support teachers in other remote areas and has been responsible for twinning schools in Nepal with the UK. She is currently studying Strategic Intervention' coaching and is about to embark on Clarity Coaching' training from September. Skills that she is only too willing to share within the educational sector and further afield.

Terri is also a Master Practitioner and Certified Trainer of Neuro Linguistic Programming.

A Professor in Education at Durham University, Chris Brown is seeking to drive forward the use of professional learning networks to promote the collaborative learning of teachers. Chris also has a long-standing interest in how research evidence can and should, but often doesn't, aid the development of education policy and practice.

Fran Burgess, past director of The Northern School of NLP, has nearly 30 years' experience within the world of NLP. During this time she has learnt from the major international teachers and her learning has taken her far and wide. A BSc graduate of St Andrews' University, with a background in vocational training, she has pioneered understanding and new approaches within the field of Modelling and its teaching, culminating in the publication of The Bumper Bundle Book of Modellingand its Companion Workbook. She has been a UKCP registered NLPt Psychotherapist and Board Member of NLPtCA. She was a founder member of The Professional Guild of NLP, and has been a regular contributor to the NLP Conference for nearly 20 years. She is now co-director of fORGE,a training company providing Psychotherapy Diploma training, specialising in Neurolinguistic Therapeutic Modelling.

For over ten years, Mark Burns has developed a proven track record in developing teaching and leadership in education. He has co-authored two bestselling books in this field – Engaging Learners and Teaching Backwards – and, more recently, has worked with FTSE 100 retailers and third sector organisations too.

Through his work, Mark has developed a deep understanding of learning design and how to overcome the barriers to learning in organisations – which is the focus of his award-winning co-authored book The Learning Imperative. He is passionate about supporting the development of performance through effective learning, hence his company’s name: Plus One Learning.

Mark’s work has been recognised with a Gold award in the People Development Programme of the Year – Public Sector category at the prestigious Learning Performance Institute Learning Awards 2021. He also won the CPD category in the Teach Secondary Awards 2020.

Click here to read Mark Burns' blog.

Bradley Busch is a chartered psychologist and director of InnerDrive. He graduated from Loughborough University with distinction and went on to work with Premiership and international footballers from England, Scotland, Wales and Japan. Outside of football, he has worked with elite athletes, helping GB athletes win medals at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games. As well as writing regularly for The Guardian, he is a leading expert on how psychological research can best help students, teachers, athletes and businesses think and perform better.

Click here to view a feature of Release Your Inner Drive' in The Daily Mail.

Click here to listen to Bradley Busch on the BBC Radio 2 Chris Evans show.

Click here to read Bradley Busch’s blog.

Dr Richard Bustin teaches Geography and leads the department at Lancing College, where he is responsible for staff development and teacher training. Richard’s research on curriculum has resulted in multiple publications, invitations to speak at education conferences and work with trainee teachers around the world.

Martin C. Clader, MA, CSQW, managed child protection and domestic abuse services in the City of Salford before he established Calder Training and Consultancy to further develop front-line assessment frameworks and practice.