What Leaders say about Inclusive Improvement

“I’ve found the partnership with Inclusive Improvement to be both challenging and supportive in exactly the right balance. The professional challenge provided by Oli and Adam has really strengthened my leadership thinking and encouraged me to look more critically at our strategic priorities. Their input has helped us refine and evolve our SEF so that it is sharper, more evidence informed, and more aligned with our long term school improvement direction.

The coaching they have provided for me and for the leadership team has been particularly valuable. It has helped us reflect more deeply on our decision making, our use of evidence, and the clarity and consistency of our leadership practice. These sessions have given us space to think, recalibrate, and move forward with greater confidence and coherence. The guidance around strategic planning has also been important, especially in helping me think through the sequencing and delivery of improvement actions. It has supported me to maintain clarity and purpose, and to ensure our plans are both ambitious and realistic.

Working with Inclusive Improvement feels collaborative and genuinely focused on building our internal capacity. I always come away from discussions with greater clarity and a renewed sense of direction. The challenge is constructive, and I feel it strengthens my own leadership thinking.

In terms of impact, I do believe Inclusive Improvement is improving our school. They are helping us embed more rigorous self evaluation, sharpen our strategic decision making, and maintain a disciplined focus on the things that will make the biggest difference. The coaching element is also having a noticeable influence on how we lead as a team.

Overall, the support has been highly beneficial, and I really appreciate the professional dialogue and consistency they both bring."

Shahista Zamir, Headteacher

 "Our partnership with Inclusive Improvement has been really valuable and really powerful.

I feel that both Oli and Adam give us the opportunity to step back and observe our school, our classrooms, our staff, our leaders. Staff have really, really valued that, not just in the actual observation and discussions, but in the next steps suggested. They have gained an understanding, mindset and perspective that's necessary – it isn't just grounded on research, it's also grounded in what's actually happening and making a difference. That for me, has been most valuable, every conversation after that has been about making positive change to impact pupils.

As a result of working with Inclusive Improvement there is a definite mind shift towards being strategic, not just what's happening in the classroom and focusing on pupil outcomes. I think staff and senior leaders, including governors, have not just a view, but have a voice. I think what Inclusive Improvement have provided are the leadership voices in synergy with our school. Staff are not just listening to my voice as Headteacher, having an external verification of the direction of travel and support with shaping the vision. They have supported our own thinking and impacted on where the school's at and where it's going. That's been a phenomenal transformation for us, because we know long term the direction of travel isn't just in equity or inclusion, it's actually in improving lives.

There is a positive impact for our team in having different voices in leadership, who provide an awareness of the wider education. Working with Adam and Oli is something I'd highly recommend, both in terms of peer support and in developing the next leaders. As we all know, good leaders make leaders, and that's what's happening with Inclusive Improvement. Having two additional people who have extensive experience with leadership is helping my leadership as head, as well as building the next generation of leaders at our school. It's an opportunity to really help us be prepared to navigate whatever the future holds."

Wendell Gopaul, Headteacher

"We recently had the pleasure of working with Oli and Adam at our school, and the experience was truly outstanding. Their visit was professional, insightful, and incredibly valuable for our staff and students. Both of them took the time to understand our school culture, observe our practices, and provide thoughtful, constructive feedback that was both affirming and actionable.

What stood out most was their ability to highlight our strengths while offering clear, practical recommendations for growth. Their approach was supportive rather than evaluative, which made the entire process collaborative and motivating. Our SLT team left the experience feeling inspired, better informed, and equipped with new strategies to further enhance teaching and learning.

Overall, it was a fantastic day, and we are grateful for the expertise, transparency, and encouragement they brought to their work with us. We have already secured dates for the next term and look forward to working with them again."

Hazel Richards, Headteacher

"We were delighted to welcome Inclusive Improvement into our SEND school to support us with inclusive practice and pedagogy. From the outset, both Oli and Adam were incredibly approachable and friendly, creating an atmosphere of trust and collaboration. Their visit felt low-pressure and supportive, which allowed our staff to engage openly and reflect meaningfully on our current practice.

What stood out most was their genuine commitment to keeping our pupils at the heart of every conversation. They took time to speak directly with the children, gaining valuable insights that informed their observations and recommendations.

The team provided thoughtful, constructive feedback—highlighting what we are doing well, while also suggesting realistic and achievable ways to further enhance our provision. Their expertise spanned both emotional regulation and curriculum delivery, which is exactly the balance we were hoping for. They helped us reflect not only on what we teach, but how we support our learners emotionally, socially, and cognitively along the way.

Importantly, there was no pressure to implement changes immediately. Instead, they offered to provide ongoing support, with personalised resources and guidance available if and when we needed it. This flexibility was appreciated and helped build a positive foundation for future collaboration.

Overall, Inclusive Improvement brought clarity, compassion, and a deep understanding of inclusive education. Their visit left us feeling reassured and inspired, with practical strategies we can begin to implement right away. We would wholeheartedly recommend their services to other settings looking to strengthen their inclusive teaching and emotional support strategies.

Thank you again, Inclusive Improvements, for your dedication and expertise."

Luke Bell, Headteacher

"Inclusive Improvement recently visited Northfield Manor Academy, and we were thoroughly impressed by the quality of their work. Adam and Oli spent the full day with us and managed to gain an in-depth understanding of our school in a remarkably short time. They highlighted our strengths with clarity and positivity, while also accurately and supportively identifying areas that would benefit from further development and attention.

Throughout their visit, they were adaptable, friendly and highly professional. Their insight, guidance, coaching and constructive challenge were invaluable for leaders at all levels. Importantly, they created an atmosphere in which staff felt comfortable, and respected.

We are grateful for their contribution and would highly recommend Inclusive Improvement to any school seeking to reflect, grow and move forward with confidence."

Tom Hull, Headteacher

"I have known Oli for a number of years and been fortunate enough to work with him in a range of different contexts. During my first year of headship, Oli was my mentor and really helped me with managing the expectations of the role and my vision for the school. I really looked forward to the monthly sessions with Oli and always came away with a newfound understanding of different aspects of school life e.g. prioritising tasks; HR issues; finance; staffing structure; and most importantly, wellbeing of the children, the staff and myself.

More recently, Oli has supported with my performance management and creating a new School Development Plan. He had a friendly approach to the PM meeting which put governors at ease and very efficiently completed all of the paperwork prior to leaving the school site.  During the meeting to write the SDP, Oli helped senior leaders to focus on the achievements of the past few months and identify key areas for development. Oli added the conversations and points raised to the SDP during the meeting so we were presented with a comprehensive plan at the end of the afternoon. 

I would highly recommend Inclusive Improvement to any colleagues whether you are at the beginning of your headship journey or have been leading a school for a number of years and need a fresh pair of eyes to help focus your school improvement priorities."

Nicola Pinnegar, Executive Headteacher

"My Headteacher performance management meeting was pitched to perfection!

Oli took the time to unpick the complexities of my school before reviewing previous objectives. This reassured me that any objectives set for myself this year were going to be relevant, essential to school improvement and my own professional development. I felt supported and understood. 

I also felt that this wasn't a 'tick box exercise' and that my role was valued and respected! This made me value the process, which for many years has not been the case. So glad I made the decision to work with Inclusive Improvement. Thank you again for your support and expertise."

Bridget Jay, Headteacher

"Oli and Adam recently visited our school and conducted a thorough Teaching and Learning Review. During the visit, they spoke with Senior Leaders and carried out lesson visits. It was very well received by staff across the school. The process was carried out with sensitivity and professionalism, ensuring that colleagues felt supported and valued throughout. The insights shared were constructive and offered clear direction for continued development.

 As a headteacher, I was impressed with the level of detail in the review. I am confident that the outcomes of this review will enhance the quality of teaching and learning across the school. The key development points identified will serve as a strong foundation to drive meaningful change and enhance the quality of teaching and learning across the school, making a tangible difference to the academic journey of children through our school."

Rebecca Lee, Headteacher

"Our recent visit from Inclusive Improvements was incredibly valuable. The whole-school learning walk provided clear, insightful reflections on our inclusive practice, and the 1:1 conversations with the Inclusion Leader were both supportive and thought-provoking. 

The team took time to observe our SEND spaces in detail, offering practical ideas that align with our school’s ethos. We also planned in next steps for our future visits. 

Overall, the experience was professional, constructive, and genuinely focused on improving outcomes for all learners."

Amy Walker-Laver, Inclusion Leader

"Adam & Oli were incredibly helpful and supportive during their visit to the school.  They put staff at ease quickly and were completely child-centred in their time in the classrooms.  

Throughout the day there was regular discussion with the SLT about the findings, clarifying and making sure that the outcomes of the report were what the school needed in order to progress.  

The feedback was a perfect mixture of celebration of the school's strengths and agreed next steps, which was received very positively by the staff, who feel motivated to progress further as a result." 

Matt Boot, Headteacher

"Oli's extensive experience dealing with SEND funding issues and applications really helped assure us that we are doing the right things for our children. His calm and knowledgeable manner made my SENCO feel comfortable and relaxed and she felt very reassured by his support and advice. 

In a very challenging area of school life his compassionate understanding, alongside his deep understanding of the funding issues school budgets face, was hugely reassuring and much appreciated."

Amy Lassman, Headteacher

 "Oli and Adam were extremely helpful in developing and refining our pupil premium strategy. They provided clear guidance, practical solutions, and shared valuable insights that have strengthened our approach to supporting disadvantaged pupils.

They not only offered support but took the time to understand our specific context. They managed the balance between challenge and support. The feedback was useful and I'm clear about my next steps through the helpful action plan."

Claire Evans, Headteacher