John is our Deputy Director of Education who leads on Inclusion and Safeguarding.

He is responsible for driving the strategy for improved outcomes for pupils with SEND, EAL and those in receipt of Pupil Premium funding.  John is supported by the Cluster SEND leads in this role.

As the Trust's Safeguarding Lead, John oversees the implementation of the safeguarding and child protection policy.  He ensures that all staff are trained appropriately, supports DSLs in compliance with legal requirements, whilst promoting a consistent safeguarding culture across the trust. John is supported by the Trust's Senior Behaviour Mentor and the Trust's Attendance lead in this part of his role. 

He is a trained primary teacher, whose early career saw him teach in the North West, London, Australia and Zambia.

John spent 13 years as a SENCO, 7 of those as a Deputy Head Teacher, and 6 years deployed as a SEND Advisor for a large, national MAT.  He has also worked as a school improvement advisor, specialising in Inclusion and Safeguarding. John officially joined Rise MAT in August 2023. 

John has completed the National Award for SENCOs, the NPQSL, and has a Master’s degree in ‘Inclusive Education and Special Educational Needs’.  He is also a recognised SLE in the area of Inclusion, an accredited safeguarding Supervisor, and a certified Leadership Coach.