London Borough of Waltham Forest Aspiring Leadership Conference & Exhibition

Halil Tamgumus

Halil is the proud Headteacher of a school in inner-city Leicester – a school (according to national statistics) which is the most deprived in Leicester and Leicestershire. As a proud Turkish Cypriot, Halil ensures that every staff member and child feel a sense of belonging and that they can bring their whole selves to school (in fact Halil is now the trust lead on EDI)! Prior to becoming a head teacher Halil taught in three other schools and has had the privilege of having experience in EYFS, KS1 and KS2. It was in year 6 that he finally settled and found his niche! After a period of time being seconded as head of school at a school in need, he returned to his parent school as an assistant headteacher (in a school of over 800 pupils). A couple of years after completing his NPQH he finally took the plunge into headship! Halil has also contributed to several books for, Sarah Mullin, Ros Wilson and Mary Myatt. As well as being cited and referenced to in Emma Turner’s work around Primary Curriculum development.

Laura Drury

Laura began her professional career as a performer and trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Her passion lay in theatre; particularly Shakespeare, comedy and farce. She always felt she had great comic... wait for it... timing! She started delivering communication skills programmes as a ‘side-line’ but rapidly became interested in the psychology behind the work, and trained as a coach. She became passionate about helping others believe in themselves and achieve their goals. Laura is determined to help as many people as possible experience what positive psychology can do for them. Over the past eleven years, Laura has created, delivered and facilitated various training programmes at all levels within the public and private sectors. Some of her more recent clients include; EE, SSP, the CIPD, the Civil Service, Global and Exterion Media. She specialises in communication, impact, influence, coaching and leadership. Laura has also worked in education with the English Pocket Opera Company; devising opera workshops for children from ages 3 to 11. She has delivered physical education sessions based on mathematics for Key Stage 1 and facilitated programmes to raise financial awareness for teenagers. Described by her husband as vertically challenged (or just small), Laura is as spirited and determined as she is short. She is also warm, intuitive and has the ability to create an instant rapport with those she works with, using humour to help them push boundaries and go outside their comfort zones.

Viv Grant

Viv Grant is an Executive Coach, Author and Public Speaker. She is the Director of Integrity Coaching, London’s leading provider of coaching services for Head teachers and senior school leaders. Viv has been in the teaching profession for over thirty-five years. When she was just 31 and expecting her first child, she was appointed as one of the youngest Heads in the country to turn around a failing primary school. It was because of her experiences as a Head, that Viv developed a deep interest in approaches for supporting the emotional and psychological well-being of school leaders. She is often called upon nationally and internationally to speak at conferences on the subject. As an Executive coach, Viv now works extensively with Head teachers and school leaders, helping them to overcome the challenges of their roles, so that they can maintain their humanity, joy, love for the profession and the communities they serve. As a pioneer in the field, the coaching provided by Integrity, has been the subject of a research report produced by Leeds Beckett University for the National Education Union (NEU). Her book “Staying A Head” is considered a seminal work in this area. Recognised as an expert in the field, she has contributed to various books and periodicals on the subject. As an expert commentator, her contributions have also been featured in The Observer, The Guardian, London Live, Sky News, Radio Four, Woman’s Hour and the World at One. Viv has also been an Advisory Board member of the UK’s first Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools at The Carnegie School of Education, Leeds Beckett University. Prior to setting up Integrity Coaching, Viv worked as a lead consultant on a range of leadership development programmes for the Institute of Education, the National College, the National Union of Teachers [NUT] and the Department for Education [DfE]. Viv is currently a PhD student researching the relationship between Anti-Racism, School Leadership and Wholeness. Viv’s website and blogs can be found here: www.integritycoaching.co.uk Twitter: @Vivgrant