Attendance Matters Magazine

Victoria Franklin is a qualified social worker with more than 25 years’ experience working in education settings. She is currently a senior education welfare consultant working across all phases of education. Victoria is the President of the National Association of Support Workers in Education (NASWE) and delivers national training on a wide range of attendance matters.

John Viner has taught in both primary and secondary schools, with a long history of successful primary school leadership. He is now a full-time writer, inspector and adviser.

Matt Bromley is an education writer and advisor with over twenty years’ experience in teaching and leadership including as a secondary school headteacher and principal, FE college vice principal, and MAT director. He also works as a public speaker, trainer, and school improvement lead, and is a primary school governor.

Alex Colclough has more than 10 years’ experience in primary education as both acting headteacher, deputy headteacher, virtual school deputy headteacher, designated safeguarding lead and SENDCO. She is passionate about inclusion and ensuring all children have equal access to education and good life chances.

Dr. Richard Steward is the headteacher of The Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis, Dorset. He has a wide range of experience in school improvement and has served as the South West representative on the Teaching School Council. Woodroffe is an outstanding school, a teaching school and a Maths Hub. richardsteward@mac.com

Sam Garner is an education consultant with specialist expertise in access arrangements and mental health in schools. She is a freelance trainer, and regularly speaks in schools to parents, staff and students (www.garnereducation.co.uk). She has also written a series of brief targeted CBT programmes designed to be run by school staff with students, including Exam Anxiety and Self Harming

Emily Kempthorne is the Assistant Principal at Bishop Young Academy in Leeds. She has 14 years’ experience in education across the country and has recently completed her MEd in Special Educational Needs (SEND) and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH). Emily can be contacted via email at ekempthorne@bishopyoungacademy.co.uk or on Twitter: @KempthorneMs

Joanne Sierzega worked for almost 16 years in local authority education welfare. Since then she has established CSAWS (Central School Attendance and Welfare Services Ltd) with two partners. CSAWS comprises a team of education welfare officers who are committed to achieving better outcomes for children by securing regular attendance at school

Emma Meadus is headteacher of Coppice Valley Primary School and a member of the Red Kite Learning Trust.