Partnerships

I approach everything as a partnership with a client, but some engagements are just a little bit different.

For example, someone might ask me to run a research project for them, designing and carrying out a qualitative study and drafting a report. Or they might need an extra pair of hands to help deliver a long-term strategic project or programme. So alongside my own work, I also maintain a portfolio of project work with some wonderful partners - charities, businesses, think tanks, research organisations, training providers, etc - adding capacity as an associate or contractor.

Over the years I’ve provided research, content, coaching, ideas, challenge, training or advice, though - frankly - I’m up for a chat about anything that interests me and furthers my aim to improve schools!

A selection of my current and past partnership work is shown below with brief descriptions of what I did. You’ll find more on LinkedIn.

  • Relationships Foundation

    Supporting business development strategy and leading research programmes for 6 years in various roles

  • CfEY

    Supporting various projects as an Associate, including an impact analysis of an Opportunity Area

  • UCL Centre for Educational Leadership

    Supporting design and delivery of UCL’s NPQEL programme, incl. content provision and facilitation of learning groups

  • Royal Society of Arts

    Supported various projects as an Associate, including the design and delivery of Grand Curriculum Designs and Area Based Curriculum work

  • Big Change

    Working with RF, I designed and delivered the ‘Pandemic as Portal’ study of how students, teachers and parents experienced lockdown

  • Education Support Partnership

    Advised and then led on business strategy at a time of significant change, supporting the CEO and sales teams

  • Finnish Global Education Services

    I’ve supported FGES for 5 years now, helping them develop services and export the successful elements of the Finnish school system

  • Integrity Coaching

    As a Senior Associate, I advise on strategy and business development, and provide coaching services to Integrity’s clients

  • The Assignment Report

    I’ve contributed to this monthly journal on the business of education since 2011, and supported various market research projects

  • Engage Education

    Provided business development and communications advice for 4 years, helping this teacher recruitment agency win several awards

  • Tavistock

    I’m a Visiting Lecturer to the Tavistock & Portman’s D10 Masters programme: consulting and leading organisations; systems psychodynamics approaches

  • Communications Management

    I supported this specialist PR agency for 5 years, developing strategy and new business in the schools sector

  • Whole Education

    Supported this network of innovative schools with advice on partnership strategy and business development

  • Drum

    Working with Ginny to make her unique and proven reflective practice groups available to school leaders

  • Heresy Consulting

    Working with Heresy to bring their amazing Open Water programme for emerging leaders to the school sector

  • Anglia Ruskin University

    Senior Lecturer Practitioner on the MBA (Educational Leadership & Management) programme

  • Forum Strategy

    Supporting Forum Strategy’s network of MAT CEOs with leadership development services

  • “Ben is a joy to work with as a researcher. During his Big Change-funded work on Pandemic as Portal, he combined his deep expertise in the 'listening post' methodology with his natural warmth and empathy to produce practical, human insights that captured the experiences of a diverse group during a particularly tumultuous period in our education and learning system. Would absolutely work with Ben again in the future.”

    Caitlin Ross, Head of Impact, Big Change

  • "Ben took on some work for CfEY in a freelance capacity for an evaluation of an Opportunity Area's Careers Hub programme in summer 2022. I would not hesitate to recommend Ben for similar. From the start of our collaboration Ben was able to help steer and maximise the impact of our evaluation, taking the reins on planning, data collection and analysis. Ben was particularly strong when collaboratively reviewing data to guide analysis and then again in identifying key findings and recommendations. Ben's final written output was clear and logical. Working with Ben definitely boosted the quality and impact of the project."

    Bart Shaw, Head of Policy, CfEY

  • "Through his insight and wisdom Ben has supported our centre in the development of UCL’s NPQ leadership programmes. He has brought a depth of experience and knowledge to both the development of programme content and the ongoing coaching of headteachers and executive leaders as they work though their programmes."

    Dr Andy Hodgkinson - Programme Lead UCL Centre for Educational Leadership

  • “Ben has deep knowledge of the education sector & the way in which policy initiatives impact on the performance of schools and teaching staff. Ben's forte is his ability to identify potential partnerships, forge alliances & network effectively.”

    Julian Stanley, former CEO of the Education Support Partnership

  • "Over the last few years, I have found Ben’s strategic insight invaluable, and the organisation has benefited greatly from his ability to take that insight out into the market context to inform our approach. Ben draws on his experience and network to make links and connections across fields of practice and sectors and has added a great deal from his understanding of organisation development in the schools context."

    Dr Rob Loe, former CEO, Relationships Foundation