WIREDGOV

1.New Adjudicator Pen Pictures

 Janet Mokades was appointed HMI (Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools) following a range of experience in teaching and management in the UK and overseas. She worked across the UK as an HMI for many years, covering all sectors and phases of education. She planned and managed many inspections of local authorities. Subsequently she led early pilot work on joint inspection of children’s services.

 She was seconded to the Cabinet Office to lead for Ofsted on the development of national policy on inspection and then moved to the Department for Children, Schools and Families where she worked as a Senior Education Adviser and subsequently a Children’s Services Adviser.

 Since leaving the department, she has worked as an independent consultant in the UK and overseas. She chairs a Local Safeguarding Children Board., is a Trustee of the Campaign for Learning and sits on the Board of the Tricycle Theatre. She is a qualified mediator.

 Bryan Slater became a teacher of chemistry in Boston, Lincolnshire in 1973, and followed this with a full-time D.Phil. in science education, returning to teaching in Bury, Lancashire in 1978.

He entered local Government in 1980 in Cornwall, and worked in Dorset and Devon before becoming Director of Education for Norfolk in 1997.  He left that post in 2005 and has operated as an independent management consultant since then.

Bryan was Vice Chair and then Chair of the Association of Chief Education Officers during his time in Norfolk

 2.      Existing Adjudicator Team Pen Pictures

 Dr Ian Craig – Chief Adjudicator
Dr Ian Craig has been Chief Schools Adjudicator since April 2009, succeeding Sir Philip Hunter. Immediately prior to this he was Director of Children's Services for Kent. He has been a teacher, head teacher, inspector, Chief Adviser and Area Education Officer before spending ten years as Kent LEA's Director of Operations, where, amongst other things, he was responsible for Admissions and School Organisation. For part of this time he was also Kent's Strategic Director of Education.

 He has edited books and written numerous articles for newspapers and academic journals on educational issues, and he has served on the editorial boards of two international journals. He has travelled widely to study education abroad, particularly schooling systems and structures. He has been a magistrate, an Ofsted Lead Inspector and a member of two Diocesan Boards for Education. His wife is a retired head teacher, and both his daughters are teachers.

Andrew Baxter was a teacher and education officer working in Derbyshire, Warwickshire, Coventry and Essex. In 1989 he was appointed as Area Director of Education in NW Kent and subsequently assumed responsibilities in West Kent. In 1993 he took over as Director of Education in the London Borough of Bromley, where he stayed until 1996 when he moved to Cambridgeshire as Director of Education, Libraries and Heritage. He retired from that post in 2006. He was President of the Society of Education Officers in 2001. He is now the Director of TPM Associates, a small company providing consultancy support principally on organisation development and strategic planning. He is a Trustee of Homerton College, Cambridge and a member of the Executive of the General Teaching Council. He chairs the Board of the Eastern Leadership Centre and of the Independent Advisory Panel of the Army Training Regiment at Bassingbourn.

Canon Richard Lindley was formerly Director of Education for the Birmingham and Winchester Church of England Dioceses over a period of 20 years, with previous experience of secondary teaching and pastoral work. He has significant experience of school organisation and admissions dispute resolution, including chairing and membership of School Organisation Committees and Admissions Forums. He has undertaken work for Hampshire County Council in the admissions field, and undertakes consultancy and advisory work for other local authorities and other organisations in the admissions and school organisation fields.

Dr Peter Matthews OBE is an International Education Consultant and is a visiting professor at the Institute of Education, University of London. He is a former HMI and worked for Ofsted as a Senior Consultant for evaluation and strategic planning and Head of Inspection Quality. He was also a Chief Education Adviser for Northumberland.

Alan Parker worked with an overseas students’ charity before joining local government in 1984. He worked at the Association of County Councils, Surrey County Council, and the Association of Metropolitan Authorities becoming its Education Officer in 1992. In 1997 he went to the London Borough of Ealing as Director of Education. He has been active in his professional body since 1990, serving as its President in 2002, and currently holds seats on two Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) Policy Committees. He has served on a number of national advisory and working groups, and has published books and articles on various aspects of education law and policy. Alan combines his role as a Schools Adjudicator with consultancy in education policy and management. He contributes to professional development as an Associate of the Virtual Staff College and is a Trustee of the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER).

Dr Elizabeth Passmore OBE is an education consultant. After a career as a science teacher she became a science specialist HMI who went on to lead teams of HMI specialist curriculum advisers. She was head of Ofsted's School Improvement Division for six years from its inception in 1993 and then became Director of Inspection until her retirement in 2003. In this final post she was responsible for all aspects of the inspection of schools and LEAs, including the follow up, and for Ofsted's research and international work.

John Simpson has been a Director of Education in two contrasting local authorities - London Borough of Brent and North Somerset Council. From 2000 to May 2007 he served as Tribal Group's Director of Education. During this period John led Tribal's 3 year strategic partnership with Swindon Borough Council following an intervention by the Secretary of State. He is a former teacher, governor, inspector and associate of the International School Improvement and Effectiveness Centre at the London Institute of Education. He is a qualified mediator who was the founding Chair of the West of England LSC

3.      Adjudicators cannot take cases in local authorities where they have worked during the last ten years or where they currently live.  Also, in general adjudicators will not act where they have previously worked closely with individuals involved in the case or for any other reason they feel their objectivity might be compromised.  These factors are taken into account when the Chief Adjudicator invites a particular adjudicator to take a case. A short synopsis of the professional careers of adjudicators is given below.

4.      Adjudicators are appointed for their ability to act impartially, independently and objectively taking account of the case presented by each party, the evidence presented to support that case and any general guidance issued by the Secretary of State.  At the start of a case all parties are given the opportunity to raise an objection to the choice of the adjudicator if they have good reason to do so.  Such objections are considered seriously by the Chief Adjudicator and the adjudicator concerned.
Issued on behalf of the Office of the Schools Adjudicator by COI News and PR North East.