Matt Isherwood is an Associate Partner at Barker with nearly two decades of experience leading and advising on education estates. A former Director of Estates at Brooke Weston Trust and a co-founder of The Trust Network, he specialises in estate strategy, compliance, sustainability and organisational readiness. A recognised sector voice, Matt regularly speaks at Education Estates, CST, ISBL, ASCL and regional networks, sharing practical insights drawn from extensive ‘clientside’ and consultancy experience.

Michael spearheads the National Governance Association’s policy work, through which NGA champions governance, and advocates for change through engagement with external partners such as government, parliamentarians, trade unions and other colleagues. He ensures NGA is effectively advocating on behalf of the thousands of trustees, governors and governance professionals that they represent – making the case for governance and a stronger education system in England. He has authored a number of reports on the English education system including The Mature MAT Model.

Chair of the National Association of  Small Schools

Teaching Career of 40 years including 15 years as a Headteacher and 15 years as a Deputy Head

Fellow of the Chartered College of Education

Guest lecturer at Winchester University

Official for the National Association of Headteachers

Trustee on the Portsmouth and Winchester CofE Board of Education

After Headship of a Small School and joining NASS as their Headteacher Liaison Officer,  I have worked closely  with Lee Owston from OFSTED on a small schools group and our feedback fed into the training for inspectors about small schools. Following a FCCT Roundtable  with Sur Martyn Oliver ,this connection continues and in the New Year NASS will give direct feedback to Lee about inspections under the new framework.

I have also worked with Frank Norris OBE to ensure OFSTED are aware of the extra stresses placed on small schools and our Schools Week article prompted them to make further changes. I’m also a researcher working with Huddersfield University, focussing on OFSTED’s  impact on staff health and well being

John Halstead is an experienced Estates Manager with over 20 years’ leadership in facilities and estates management across the education sector, spanning both public and private settings. Originally based on the Isle of Wight, his work over the past seven years has extended across the South Coast, focusing on strategic change management and health & safety improvement. John specialises in designing and implementing Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) and facilities systems that embed sound operational practice and a robust, engaging safety culture.

Austin leads techUK’s Education and EdTech programme, shaping strategies that support the digital transformation of schools, colleges, and universities. His work focuses on strengthening the UK’s education technology ecosystem, enhancing core technology foundations, and advancing the adoption of emerging technologies to improve educational outcomes.
Austin also chairs the EdTech Advisory Panel for AI in Education, contributing to national discussions on the future of EdTech, AI, and the UK’s Education system.

Pamela Hazlett is Solutions Consultant at Building Spatial Intelligence, where she works with multi-academy trusts, schools and public sector organisations to improve estate decision-making through accurate, structured building data.

Pamela specialises in helping responsible bodies understand the condition, capacity and suitability of their estates by translating complex technical information into practical, strategic insight. Her work supports trusts in moving from reactive maintenance to proactive, data-led estate management, ensuring investments deliver long-term value for money.

Pamela is particularly focused on how digital transformation, including BIM and integrated estate data, can strengthen governance, support smarter procurement and create better environments for teaching and learning.

Stuart McGregor is a visionary leader in the field of school health and safety, with over 25 years of experience. His expertise spans premises and facilities management, with a notable specialisation in school legal compliance. Recognising a national gap in support for premises staff managing school estates, Stuart became the driving force behind innovative national solutions including NASPM. As a highly qualified lead auditor, he has been instrumental in developing robust school health and safety management systems, training programs, and serving as a mentor and trainer. A leading accident investigator including analytical techniques and human failure analyses and specialises in school security and emergency preparedness.

I have worked for the National Education Union (NEU) and its predecessor union National Union of Teachers (NUT) for over 30 years. The NEU has over 500,000 members across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is the largest education union in the UK and in Europe. I am currently Senior Policy Manager for Health, Safety and Environment. I am involved in policy, campaigns, and training activities covering these areas. Our campaign to remove asbestos from all educational buildings is longstanding – dating back more than 40 years – and we remain committed to ensuring that educational buildings are safe for staff and pupils.

Matt Hassall is a strategic, people-focused estates leader with extensive experience overseeing complex, multi-site portfolios across the education sector. As current Head of Estates for Avanti Schools Trust, he leads long-term estates strategy, multi-million-pound capital investment, Emergency response / BCP and Trust-wide health and safety, – with a strong focus on culture, purpose and empowering teams to make a meaningful difference to pupils’ lives.

He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Leadership (Distinction) and is progressing to a Masters, combining practical delivery with strategic insight and sector-wide influence.

Lucy Bayliss has been designing education spaces at Solihull Council for 21 years, creating environments that support wellbeing, inclusion and performance. Her work blends interior design with therapeutic, biophilic and hybrid education principles to better meet the needs of diverse learners. As a parent of a child with special educational needs, Lucy brings personal insight to her design approach and is passionate about neurodiversity and sensory-informed spaces. Used to working with tight local authority budgets, Lucy focuses on practical, achievable solutions that make a real difference. She is keen to shares ideas and offer practical solutions that help schools respond effectively to the growing demand for SEND provision.

Claire has been a Partner at Haverstock since 2006, leading numerous successful projects across a range of sectors, with a particular focus on education. She is committed to inclusive design, with a longstanding dedication to creating environments that support and empower children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

With extensive experience across the education sector, Claire has led the design of early years settings, primary and secondary schools, sixth forms, pupil referral units, alternative provision settings and specialist SEND schools. She is currently leading the Balgores School project, which will become one of the largest SEND schools in the country, demonstrating her ability to manage complex, large-scale projects while maintaining a strong focus on the needs of the end users.

Alongside her project work, Claire is a Technical Advisor to the Department for Education, giving her a detailed understanding of current design standards and policy. She regularly shares her knowledge through conferences and industry forums, contributing to wider discussions on best practice in inclusive design. Claire is also a judge on the national panel for the Civic Trust Awards, reflecting her standing within the profession and her commitment to quality in the built environment.

Chris serves as the Technical Director at TG Escapes, managing projects with architects and applying his 13 years of industry experience. He is a member of the Senior Leadership Team and specialises in low-carbon buildings and timber construction methods. His research interests include sustainable retrofit, structurally insulated panels, and cross-laminated timber. Chris has been with TG Escapes since May 2018 and is a Certified Passivhaus Designer.

Martin Thomas was appointed as the CLF’s Director of Estates and Facilities in July 2023.

Martin began his career as an ICT professional, building up extensive experience and leading a number of ICT teams in local government.
He then developed into a seasoned transformational change management consultant, working across the public sector.

Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a track record of delivering successful transformations for a range of clients, using expertise in project management, stakeholder engagement, and process improvement to achieve lasting results.

Prior to joining the CLF, he was Director of Business Management at Tewkesbury School, delivering measurable results through strategic planning and effective leadership.

Jeremy Pilgrim is the founder and Managing Director of Building Spatial Intelligence. With almost 30 years of experience, Jeremy is a respected figure, known for his innovative use of structured data to enhance estates management.

As a passionate advocate for technology’s role in sustainability, Jeremy has spearheaded initiatives using BIM technology and digital twin models, transforming traditional estates management into a forward-looking, tech-enabled sector.

A sought-after speaker and thought leader, he regularly shares his insights at industry events, delivering engaging talks and workshops on the role of BIM as a spatial database for improved asset management.

Paul Edmond is Chief Finance and Sustainability Officer at HEART Academies Trust, based in Bedford. He is a Fellow of the Institute of School Business Leaders (ISBL) and ThoughtBox Education, with experience in financial and operational leadership, sustainability, and climate action.

In 2021, Paul became co‑Chair of the UK Schools Sustainability Network, supporting schools and trusts nationally to navigate the transition to a more sustainable future. He also represents HEART on the Climate Adapted Pathways for Education (CAPE) Alliance Advisory Group. Alongside his strategic leadership roles, Paul is a facilitator for Carbon Literacy training and Climate Fresk, helping educators build climate confidence and practical capability across their organisations.

Alex Green is the Head of Let’s Go Zero for Ashden, a climate solutions charity based in London. Alex leads on Let’s Go Zero 2030, a campaign that supports UK schools working together to be zero carbon. She leads the national Let’s Go Zero Climate Advisors network and sits on the DfE User Group for their Sustainability & Climate Change Strategy and previously managed Ashden’s sustainable school awards and peer to peer LESS CO2 programme. Alex has a Masters in Environmental Management from the University of Cape Town and has previously worked running an environmental business awards scheme for a local authority, supporting small businesses to cut carbon and regulating industry at the Environment Agency.

Elle Courtonel is Marketing Manager at TG Escapes, a UK specialist in sustainable, offsite construction. She works across a range of education projects, supporting communications that explore how building design can influence learning environments, wellbeing, and long-term outcomes.

Matt Isherwood is an Associate Partner at Barker with nearly two decades of experience leading and advising on education estates. A former Director of Estates at Brooke Weston Trust and a co-founder of The Trust Network, he specialises in estate strategy, compliance, sustainability and organisational readiness. A recognised sector voice, Matt regularly speaks at Education Estates, CST, ISBL, ASCL and regional networks, sharing practical insights drawn from extensive ‘clientside’ and consultancy experience.