DIRECTORS APPOINTED TO INNOVATION UNIT - MORRIS

4 Sep 2002 09:45 AM

Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Estelle Morris, today announced the appointment of Mike Gibbons as Lead Director and Maureen Burns, Anne Diack, Valerie Hannon, Deryn Harvey and Toby Salt as Directors of the Innovation Unit. The new Unit was launched by the Secretary of State in June 2002 to work with schools in a new way, identifying and encouraging innovative ideas that will make a real difference in raising the quality of teaching and learning in all schools.

Lead Director, Mike Gibbons has worked in schools in England for almost thirty years and has twenty years experience as a senior manager. He is currently principal of the British School of Brussels, an international school for 3-18 year old students from 65 countries. He is a founder member of the Governing Council of the National College for School Leadership and plays an active role in the work of its think tank.

Maureen Burns taught history in two inner city comprehensive schools in Inner London. She was an adviser for history and humanities in Hertfordshire and Chief Adviser in an outer London borough and worked as a senior adviser in the Standards and Effectiveness Unit at the Department for Education and Skills with Local Education Authorities (LEAs) in the north west of England. Maureen has most recently been Head of Policy and Communications with the General Teaching Council.

Anne Diack was originally a teacher and team leader in Hertfordshire schools, has worked in the Inner London Education Authority, BBC/Open University Production, and, most recently, as the first Research Manager for BBC Education Policy, developing a research base and evaluation of the BBC's output across all genres and platforms. Anne is a member of boards covering research into media and learning, viewer/learner perspectives, informal lifelong learning and neuroscience. She sits on the independent National Education Research Forum, chairing an analytic group on Innovation. She is also on the steering committee of EPPI-Centre (Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordination Centre).

Valerie Hannon was until 1999 the Director of Education of Derbyshire County LEA. She was an adviser to the Local Government Association, Chair of the East Midlands Chief Education Officers and an executive member of the Association of Chief Education Officers. Formerly Deputy Director of Education in Sheffield, she has worked in a broad range of LEAs. Before joining local government she was a senior research fellow in the University of Sheffield, and a teacher. Valerie was a member of the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education, has promoted creativity in learning, teaching and leadership and been an adviser to a number of LEAs, Department for Education and Skills, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, and the Creative Partnerships initiative.

Deryn Harvey has been headteacher of Willow Tree Primary School in Ealing, London for 16 years. It is one of the largest primary schools in England. She is also a trainer and assessor, adviser to education stakeholders on the development of 'Curriculum Online' and is a member of the National Union of Teachers and the Institute of Directors.

Toby Salt is head of St.Anthony's School, in Chichester in 1999, a special school for children with complex needs. He has worked in a variety of specialist mainstream educational settings and been involved in leading new educational initiatives and developing partnership projects in a number of LEAs. He established a specialist residential sixth form, was the head of an educational centre for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties and he has been a senior teacher in a special school. Toby is a member of the governing council of the National College for School Leadership and a governor of Chichester College. Toby will work part-time, remaining as headteacher of St.Anthony's, as he is determined to ensure that exciting new innovations are grounded in the reality of school practice.

Estelle Morris said:

"I am very pleased that we have recruited such an experienced and committed team to develop the work of the Innovation Unit. This is a key strategy for involving the outstanding practice in our schools and elsewhere in the next phase of reform."

Mike Gibbons said:

"I am delighted to be leading the new Innovation Unit at such an exciting time in the development of education in England. Schools and standards of attainment are stronger than ever before, and I believe that my 29 years of experience in state schools will help us to learn new ideas together, share experience and spread innovation and best practice through all parts of the education system."

The team will take up their new roles over during the next few months, as soon as they hand over their current responsibilities

NOTES TO EDITORS

This Press Notice applies to England.

1. The Secretary of State for Education and Skills launched the Innovation Unit on 25 June. Her speech and other information on the Innovation Unit is available on the Unit's website:
www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/innovation-unit

2. Further background information on the Directors is available from the Press Office.

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