HR Update 2023 - London - Speakers

Emma Hughes, Head of HR Services, Browne Jacobson LLP (Chair)

Emma has over 15 years’ experience in generalist HR in both the private sector and the public sector. Emma has worked as HR director and regional HR business partner for two large, national school trusts. Emma is able to bring insights and great practice from organisations across the sector to help inspire new approaches to HR and organisational development and design. Emma has led on several business transformation projects, including a national restructure that involved HR/finance/estates functions across the whole organisation. More recently Emma has supported several clients manage contentious trade union disputes including coaching and advising a Headteacher in order to help stave off strike action.

Liz Anderson, CEO, Djanogly Learning Trust

Liz Anderson is CEO of Djanogly Learning Trust, a multi-academy trust based across Nottingham and Derbyshire.  A former headteacher, her mantra is ‘children first’ and all decisions are filtered through this belief.  It is her passion to make a difference and ensure that all children get the same opportunities to succeed at a high level, whatever their starting point.  Her positive impact on school improvement and system leadership has been recognised through her designation as a National Leader of Education and Pupil Premium Reviewer.

Mandy Coalter, Founder, Talent Architects

Mandy provides consultancy and advisory support to school groups along with coaching, mentoring, and training. Her successful book Talent Architects; how to make your school a great place to work was published in 2018. From 2012 to 2019, Mandy was Director of People at United Learning and responsible for HR, talent management, leadership development, and marketing and communications. United Learning is one of the largest school groups in the UK, running around 80 schools across both state and independent sectors and employing over 8000 staff. Mandy built the group reputation as an employer, taking forward key priorities such as developing leaders, talent management, employee engagement, wellbeing, recruitment, pay and performance management. HR Magazine listed Mandy in the top 10 HR Most Influential in both 2018 and 2019. Mandy has previously worked in senior roles in the NHS, local government, the charity sector and with schools. Mandy is also the co-founder of Trust Inclusion – developing inclusive leaders in school trusts.

Hear more about Mandy's keynote on retention here
Watch this short video to learn more about Mandy's workshop on recruitment

Dai Durbridge, Partner, Browne Jacobson LLP

Dai is an expert education lawyer at Browne Jacobson and heads up the North West team.  He advises schools, academies and MATs on frontline education matters, including admissions and exclusions, parental complaints, GDPR and all safeguarding issues. Dai supports schools with employment related safeguarding issues, including the single central record, overseas checks, positive DBS disclosures and complex investigations following allegations against staff.  Dai works closely with the expert HR advisors and specialist employment lawyers at Browne Jacobson on a range of issues for schools where safeguarding and/or GDPR is a complicating factor.  Dai also carries our MAT safeguarding audits to support trusts with improving safeguarding practices at each academy and developing consistent approaches and structures that support best practice trust-wide safeguarding. He is also a recognised expert in GDPR and data protection for schools, supporting schools with all aspects of data protection and has devised and delivered DPO training to over 400 school DPOs to support them in their role.

Learn about what Dai will be covering in the panel session here
Hear about Dai's workshop session in this short video

Ernest Jenavs,  CEO, Edurio

Ernest is the CEO of Edurio, England’s leading stakeholder feedback platform for schools and school trusts. He is a frequent public speaker both in the UK and internationally on effective use of stakeholder feedback in schools and has published extensive research on stakeholder feedback, staff wellbeing and school improvement.

Sarah Linden, Senior Associate, Browne Jacobson LLP

Sarah has specialised in providing employment law advice within the education sector since 2010. She has extensive experience of the unique challenges that employers face in the sector, ranging from safer recruitment of staff through to dismissals and onward referrals to external bodies. Sarah has a wide range of experience in both contentious and non-contentious employment work. In addition to providing advice and representation in respect of employment tribunal proceedings, she works closely with clients, advising upon school and trust-based employment processes. She regularly advises upon disciplinary and grievance procedures and redundancy processes. Prior to joining Browne Jacobson, Sarah led the legal department at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL). Sarah has published articles in TES and SecEd and she has regularly spoken at ASCL conferences.

Audrey Pantelis, Director, Elevation Coaching and Consulting Ltd

Audrey’s career in education as teacher, middle leader, senior leader and head of school in both mainstream and special educational needs spans over thirty years.  She was the founding Head of a free Special school in north-west London. Audrey is an accredited leadership coach, and she also works with schools and organisations in developing and implementing positive, systemic changes with regard to racial diversity and inclusive practices. She is passionate about supporting staff in their ability to further improve the life chances of children and young people, including those with learning difficulties.

Tom Wallace, Senior HR Consultant, Browne Jacobson LLP

Tom has over 12 years’ experience working with schools and trusts, including working for six years with one of the largest academy trusts. Tom is experienced in all levels of HR management including complex union negotiations, high-level safeguarding cases and large-scale restructures. Tom specialises in pay and reward initiatives and has supported numerous trusts with executive pay and structure reviews, including creating trust-wide pay scales/job families and R&R incentives. Tom is extremely passionate about improving education through proactive HR strategies and has supported many trusts in developing HR initiatives and five-year ‘People’ plans to achieve this.

Peter Woodhouse, Partner, Stone King LLP 

Peter has been assisting clients in employment matters since he qualified in 1991. He advises on a full range of employment matters and aims to provide support to clients managing change in their business. He was a partner at a large Bristol firm before becoming a partner at Stone King LLP in March 2006. He is qualified as a solicitor and barrister and for 10 years was believed to be the only solicitor on the panel of Treasury Counsel. Peter has acted for numerous clients over the years including owner-managers as well as multi-nationals. Peter considers that businesses prefer to act responsibly both as a matter of policy and economics. He works with clients to ensure their outcomes in terms of responsible business are delivered.