Corinne Botten - MA, NPQH LRAM

Corinne has a career in education spanning over 50 years as teacher, Secondary Headteacher, School Governor, Trustee and latterly as Chair of the Board of Illuminate Minds Academy Trust.

Her career in secondary education spanned 37 years at schools  in Kent, Croydon Bromley and Bexley -specialising in Drama, creative arts and English -before taking up the Headship of Westwood College, a mixed secondary school in Bexley, from 2003 -2008. She retired from her educational consultancy in London and the South East in 2012

Corinne became a governor at Oakwood Special School in 2006 and became the Chair of Governors at New Horizons Federation at its inception. With the CEO she led this group of Academies in Bexley, which provided services for SEBD pupils and their families in the borough, into the LSEAT Academy Trust in 2018. She was also a Trustee of LSEAT academy group for 5 years.

Currently she is a Vice-Chair of governors at St Michael’s CofE Primary Academy in Bexley and a Governor of the East Wickham WW1 Memorial Trust. Formerly, as Chair of Bexley Governor’s Forum Executive Committee she was a member of Bexley’s Strategic Education Partnership Board and is Vice-Chair of Bexley School’s Forum.

Corinne is committed to the provision of high quality educational opportunities for all students.

 

Sally Williamson

Sally Williamson is a founding member and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Salus.

Throughout her career, Sally has demonstrated her commitment and passion for securing services that really make a difference to children, young people, their families, school and communities. Leading a ground-breaking social enterprise has provided the opportunity to continue to develop ways to do this creatively and efficiently while achieving the best possible outcomes.

Prior to establishing Salus, Sally had more than 20 years’ experience of working across education and children’s services through strategic management for a number of Local Authorities and the Government Office London (GOL).  Roles included Head of Attendance and Behaviour (including Alternative Provision) for Kent County Council (KCC) and Children and Learners Strategic Adviser for GOL.  Both Sally and the services she has been responsible for, have won numerous awards and accolades in recognition of their impact.

Sally is a keen advocate for the role of the voluntary sector and is a VCSE representative on many Boards and Steering Groups, including the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Partnership Group.  

Sally has a BSc in Psychology (hons), Post Graduate Diploma in Systemic Approaches, an MSc in Occupational Psychology and is in the final stages of qualifying as an Occupational Psychologist.

 

 

Dr Lisa Cherry

Lisa is the Director of Trauma Informed Consultancy Services Ltd leading a dynamic and creative organisation that provides a 'one stop' approach to delivering on research, consultancy and learning and development. Lisa is an author, researcher, leading international trainer and consultant, specialising in assisting schools, services and systems to create systemic change to the way that we work with those experiencing and living with, the legacy of trauma. Lisa has been working in and around Education and Children’s Services for over 30 years and combines academic knowledge and research with professional expertise and personal experience. Lisa has worked extensively with Social workers, Educators, Probation Workers and those in Adult Services, training and speaking to over 30,000 people around the world including in the US, Australia and Pakistan and across the whole of the UK.

Lisa has produced multiple pieces of research for various settings and Lisa's own MA research looked at the impact on education and employment for care experienced adults who experienced school exclusion as children in the 1970's and 1980's. In February 2024 Lisa completed her DPhil research at The University of Oxford in the Department of Education. The research asked "How do care experienced adults who were also excluded from school make sense of belonging?"

Lisa is the author of the hugely successful and award winning book 'Conversations that make a difference for Children and Young People' (2021)and ‘The Brightness of Stars’ 3rd Edition published in June 2022. A new book contract has been signed for publication in 2024/2025 on cultivating belonging.