Research School Network: Meet the Team Somerset Research School

Tom has been teaching for 24 years and has held various leadership roles in two large secondary schools in the South West. He facilitates a number of Research Schools Network training programmes alongside managing the work of our growing group of ELE & EA’s. Tom also delivers keynote presentations at conferences and events across the region. Tom is passionate about engaging with research evidence to improve teaching and learning and enjoys supporting other professionals to do the same.

Will is part of the team delivering ​‘Making sense of Metacognition’ and ​‘Effective Learning Behaviours’ programmes. Will also contributes to other Somerset Research School CPD programmes sharing invaluable knowledge, expertise and subject-specific recommendations.

Fiona works alongside Tom and Will ensuring that CPD courses, including workshops, conferences and twilights are delivered across the south west. Fiona is responsible for communications and project management.

As Head of Science Faculty at Crispin School and Director of Science for the Wessex Learning Trust, Rachael passionately champions the integral role of science education in understanding the world and fostering social mobility. Dedicated to cultivating lifelong learners, Rachael emphasizes the significance of science, a foundational subject, ensuring its crucial presence in all aspects of learning. Rachael prioritizes instilling self-regulation skills to empower students for success beyond the classroom.

Anne works within the Somerset Literacy network. It was established in 2010 to ensure that Somerset schools have continued access to high quality literacy support and resources.

Ro is Headteacher at St Nicholas’ Chantry Church of England and has been teaching for over 20 years holding various leadership roles. As SEMH leader and Pupil Premium reviewer Ro uses her knowledge and training to ensure best outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and to ensure adults, young people, parents & carers in school communities are better equipped for the pressures of modern life.

Clare is the lead for school improvement for Bristol City Council, having previoulsy been an Executive Headteacher across small, junior and larger schools in Bath, Somerset and North Somerset. Most of the schools Clare has worked in and with have been in areas of high dperivation with higher than average numbers of children eligible for pupil premium and those with identified SEND. She has a master’s in educational research and is a teaching and learning coach as well as for the NPQH for the Church of England. In her current role, she is developing education practice across the City through her team, supporting schools to deliver a great education.

Read Clare’s blog for the DfE here, ​‘A headteacher’s top tips to effectively manage Pupil Premium funding’.

Ali has over 25 years’ experience in the early years education sector as a teacher, EYFS Leader, Local Authority Consultant supporting schools, PVI settings and Children’s Centres. She delivers evidence informed training and has written a number of CPD programmes as part of the Bristol & Beyond Stronger Practice Hub. She is passionate about children’s early language development and inspiring environments, practitioners and practice that ignites a lifelong love of learning through play. Ali is currently supporting schools and EY settings offering intensive support, facilitating team development and delivering a research CPD project centred on EYFS Leadership.

Emma is the Head of Service, Inclusion at Bristol City Council, leading the inclusion and SEND Services for Bristol. Emma has over 22 years in education, primarily in SEND. Emma has worked in mainstream and specialist schools as SENDCo and SLT as well as leading a team of advisory teachers and specialising herself in supporting mainstream inclusion for CYPs with SEMH and Autism needs in primary and secondary schools. Emma was one of the Regional Implementation Leads for the DELTA project 2021 – 22, which worked with 80 schools across the city to implement effective TA leadership and deployment.

Lauren leads Reading and Science at a two-form entry Primary school in Bristol. Passionate about evidence-informed education, she strives to bridge the gap between research and practice to ensure high-quality teaching for all children. Lauren has implemented research-driven practices and professional development in Science and Reading to improve outcomes and raise the profile of these subjects. She is keen to support practitioners to connect with research and implement it within their schools.

James is Deputy Head at the Park and Parkwall Federation in Bristol and has completed NPQs in Leading Literacy and Senior Leadership. Based at The Park Primary School, James is a member of the Federation Leadership Team with responsibilities for Assessment and Reading. He has implemented research driven practices and professional development in Early Years and Key Stage One to improve outcomes in Early Reading and Phonics with the English Hub. Working in partnership with Read Write Inc. as 1 of 4 schools to film high quality in action clips and training to improve practices across the country. Additionally, James leads reading across the Mosaic Partnership Trust, implementing evidence-based practice and professional development to improve the teaching of fluency, and comprehension outcomes in Key Stage Two, and inspire a generation of lifelong readers across all their schools. He is keen to support colleagues in connecting with research to inform and improve practices in their schools.

Executive Head St Pauls Nursery School and Childrens Centre and Lead for Bristol and Beyond EYs Regional Stronger Practice Hub

Lucy has been a leader in the Early Years Sector for over 30 years, working as an EYFS Co-ordinator in Primary Schools, Headteacher in 5 different Nursery
Schools, leader of a large integrated urban Children Centre, Early Years Consultant, National Leader of Education, Lead of Bristol EYs National Teaching
School and more recently lead of the SW Regional EYs Stronger Practice Hub ​‘Bristol and Beyond’ working across 8 LAs in the North of the SW region.

Her home base for many years is at St Pauls Nursery School in Bristol, where she is now part time Executive Headteacher. Here she has led a diverse team through 6 consecutive Outstanding Ofsted inspections for both school and day-care, and grown teams of outstanding EYs educators and leaders.

Lucy also plays a commissioned role with Bristol Early years Quality Improvement Team, contributing to strategy, leading on our dynamic systems leadership model of setting to setting support and with leadership development. Lucy is particularly experienced in supervision, mediation, quality improvement, and relationship-based practice and leadership. Her particular interest has always been in creating the right emotionally containing environment in which children, families, teams and leadership can thrive within a robust model of self-evaluation.

Lucy and her team have contributed to the EEF evidence store, DfE guidance for EYs providers and she has wider national connections with regional EYs hubs. She is committed to supporting the Early Years sector to connect with research to make sustainable improvements in their practice with young children.

Mark has been involved in Secondary School Maths education for 17 years. He greatest strength is to saying, ​“Yes” to every piece of CPD offered to him, stealing as many ideas as he can, developing those ideas, and promoting them further in as many places as he can. He is a lead practitioner across his Trust and a Local Leader in Maths Education for his regional Maths Hub. He runs CPD for teachers of all subjects and thoroughly enjoys taking ideas that work in PE, or MFL, or History and considering, ​“What would that look like in DT? In English? In maths? How can that work for all of us”.

Ashley is a primary teacher, PE Lead and Phase Leader at St Mary’s CEVC Primary School in Bridgwater. He is a member of the Senior Leadership team, promoting evidence-informed practice across the school. Ashley holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership and has worked with Teach First as a subject specialist in computing, co-leading national online teacher training sessions. In January 2026, Ashley will be starting his Professional Doctorate in Education at the University of Plymouth, focusing on teacher education and reflective practice.