Consultants
Nicky Parkinson
Nicky has 30 years of experience in education, 20 of those within senior leadership working across a range of schools and catchments and 15 as a successful primary school head teacher, during which time she led the school from requires improvement to good with outstanding features in less than three years. On her retirement from this role in 2023, the school was in the top 20% nationally at GDS maths at both KS1 and KS2, reading GDS KS2 as well as for progress in reading. School was also in the top 20% for attendance and within the lowest 20% for staff absence; a school that not only achieved excellent pupil outcomes but where pupil and staff wellbeing was given the highest priority.
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Profile
Passionate about leading with compassion and a clear moral purpose at all times, Nicky believes that ensuring all have a voice and are heard should underpin the vision, ethos and leadership of the best schools and to this end, she placed high priority on both pupil and staff development: both were recognised as strengths by Ofsted; ‘Leaders have deliberately organised the personal development curriculum so that staff develop pupils’ character. Pupils have many opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge beyond the academic curriculum’, and; ‘High expectations and a determined belief that developing staff professionally will benefit your pupils, characterises your school’, ‘You have developed the skills of subject leaders so effectively that several have left the school to take up promoted posts in other schools. Subject leaders have benefited immensely from your investment in them...equipping them with expertise, confidence and competence to lead their subjects well’.). Several staff went from Early Career Teachers to senior leadership positions, including headships under her steer.Nicky also single-handedly designed, led and managed an Initial Teacher Training programme on behalf of the School Improvement Alliance, working closely with the University of Cumbria to achieve an excellent track record of success. She has led projects in evidence-based research on behalf of the Local Authority as well as working for the Local Authority supporting schools in category and advising on SEN. She has worked collaboratively with colleagues from other schools on school improvement and curriculum design, undertaking Teaching and Learning reviews on behalf of colleagues in other schools as well as School Self Evaluation and improvement planning.
Nicky's areas of strength:
• Strengths in Early Years
• Curriculum innovation and design
• Pupil personal development and wellbeing
• Distributive leadership
• Staff development, wellbeing, recruitment and retention.