Racheal Smith is a leading advocate for parental participation and stronger school-home partnerships. As the lead for Parent-Friendly Schools at Parentkind, she has supported hundreds of schools and trusts across England to build cultures where parents are recognised as genuine partners in children’s education.

With 19 years’ experience as a teacher and school leader, Racheal combines frontline educational expertise with evidence-informed practice. She is a published author and co-creator of Parentkind’s Parent-Friendly Schools accreditation, one of the UK’s fastest-growing programmes focused on parent partnership.

Alongside her work in school improvement, Racheal served as Chief Examiner for Pearson, bringing extensive experience in assessment, standards and educational quality. She regularly speaks to school leaders, trusts, charities and policy audiences about the role parents play in improving attendance, behaviour, wellbeing and educational outcomes.

Known for blending research with practical examples from schools, Racheal’s presentations offer an optimistic vision for how schools, families and communities can work together so that children flourish.

David is committed to addressing educational disadvantage through high standards, evidence-led approaches and humour. He has held senior leadership positions in the West Midlands and South Yorkshire since 2012, and currently serves as the Principal of Astrea Academy Woodfields which was rated as OFSTED ‘Good’ within 15 months of David taking up his post having been in ‘Special Measures’ or ‘Requiring improvement’ since inspections began.

Brought up in Teesside and having graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2008 in Natural Sciences, David joined the Teach First Programme in 2008 in the West Midlands. He has been a Head of Science in two schools, in both cases leading them to their best ever results, and first served as an Assistant Headteacher in 2012. Having held a wide range of briefs in either curriculum or pastoral areas; David has always been committed to the long term best interests of children so that they can live a great life full of opportunity and choice.

Astrea Academy Woodfields is the Secondary School of the Year in Yorkshire, a Special Award Winner from Poetry by Heart and a Top 100 Uk Changemaker according to the Big Issue. Every child who joins learns a musical instrument and takes part in an innovative family dining programme. This Doncaster school that serves an area with high levels of deprivation continues to make bold moves that are disrupting disadvantage.

Deborah is responsible for driving forward the strategic ambitions of LLG, working closely with the board to design the best possible service for the lawyers who make up our membership. She assists in setting the strategy whilst leading the team to deliver the organisations goals within an agreed budget to ensure tangible value for money for local authorities. Collaborating with others across the sector, Deborah strives for local and national influence on key policy items through improved visibility and an ambitious policy and campaign agenda.

Since her appointment as LLG’s first CEO in 2018, Deborah has steered the transformation of the organisation to one with strong levels of membership engagement with a vibrant online knowledge, training and conference programme. Deborah and the talented team ensured that LLG demonstrated its value during the pandemic, producing fast-paced guidance and lobbying for policy change to ensure members could thrive. In 2021, Deborah led the launch of the first national work experience week for law students in local authorities across the country, with a plan to repeat this annually, complemented by a national graduate recruitment scheme in 2022.

Claire is Anthem’s Executive Director of Professional Services and General Counsel. She has worked for the Trust in various forms for over 12 years. Claire is a qualified solicitor, specialising in education law and is also Anthem’s Data Protection Officer and Company Secretary. She is also an Academy Councillor for Lime Hills Academy, a special school and part of Cabot Learning Federation, and a Member for Swakeleys School for Girls. She also works as a Recorder – a type of part-time Circuit Judge, specialising in family law.

Claire has previously worked for Education Development Trust as in-house legal and senior education development consultant, and as a senior education solicitor at education specialist law firm Veale Wasbrough Vizards.

Vicky heads the firm’s South West education practice team of education solicitors and HR consultants. Recognised by Legal 500 as a Rising Star since 2021, she is a partner specialising exclusively in education law since 2010.

Vicky advises schools, single and multi-academy trusts (MATs) and independent schools regionally and nationally on contentious matters and strategic projects. She combines deep sector passion, evidenced through extensive school governance roles, with practical, client-focused solutions to complex legal and regulatory challenges.

Vicky’s contentious practice covers the full spectrum of student disputes and parent complaints. She has a strong track record of defending schools in cases involving suspensions, permanent exclusions and disability discrimination claims. Recognising the post-pandemic surge in parent complaints and the impact on staff well-being, Vicky has developed specialist expertise in managing difficult parent relationships and vexatious complaints. She leads Browne Jacobson’s development of cutting-edge complaints management resources, including support packs, CPD courses and bespoke training, equipping school leaders with strategies to de-escalate conflict and maintain constructive stakeholder engagement.

Vicky guides academy trust clients through business-critical projects including academy conversions, MAT mergers, school transfers and re-brokerages. Clients benefit from her expert guidance on governance structures, Articles of Association, schemes of delegation and DfE compliance.

Vicky is a trusted adviser for Church of England schools and diocesan MATs. Following in-house secondments with two South West dioceses and current service on the Diocese of Truro’s Diocesan Board of Education, she brings unparalleled understanding of the unique governance and stakeholder requirements of faith schools.

A sought-after commentator in education media, Vicky regularly contributes to Schools Week, TES and Education Journal on parent complaints, governance and regulatory change.

Vicky has held volunteer governorship positions across maintained schools, academies and higher education since 2010. She currently serves as Trustee of Askel Veur, a member of the Diocese of Truro Board of Education, and governor at Plymouth Marjon University.