We are a group of experienced educationalists, from a variety of backgrounds, for example, headship, advisory work, and inspections, who recognised that there was a need to formally identify schools that develop their students in a way that is not currently measured by national inspection frameworks. We believe these schools do something exceptional to develop students who have World Class skills, competencies and characteristics, in order to flourish in an emerging global economy.
As a network of schools
We are World Class learners and leaders with a commitment to achieving the best for our community and our best in the work-place, by acquiring a deep knowledge and understanding of our world.
As secondary students we
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- Are excellent learners dedicated to life-long learning
- Are exceptional leaders and organisers
- Consistently out-perform students from similar contexts, and are committed to continually improving our performance
- Are active participants in our school, local or relevant communities
As primary pupils
Because of who we are, what we feel, and how we learn, we are World Class.
As special school pupils
We are life ready.
Who we are
Maria Georgiou, Project Manager
Maria has over 20 years’ experience working with charities and young people, having previously managed the Marketing & Events team at overseas development charity ActionAid, and school residential provider Wildchild Adventure. Maria oversees the overall running of WCSQM and works with our Director and Trustees to support and facilitate the growth and development of our charity, to maximise the reach and benefit for schools and young people.
Bronwen Tumani, Assessment Manager
Bronwen has 30 years experience working in the public sector. She was a leader in the civil service until 2010 and since then has had a portfolio career. She has served as a Non Executive Director for a NHS Mental Health Trust, is a Panel Chair for Judicial Appointments Commission and is an Independent Member for MoJ public appointments. Bronwen has extensive experience in school governance and is the consultancy lead within LB Barnet for Governance Reviews. She was a National Leader of Governance, supporting governing bodies between 2014-2021 and continues to Chair to Barnet governing bodies.
James Kaye, App Manager
James manages the development and maintenance of the WCSQM App, to provide the best possible user experience for our subscribing and accredited schools. He is an experienced digital product manager who acts as a link between operations and digital technology. James has assisted organisations in utilizing technology to grow across many industries including education, video games publishers, sustainable recycling, outdoor events and agricultural societies.
Miranda Perry, Director
Miranda Perry is an experienced education consultant and school improvement adviser. She worked as a lead inspector for Ofsted, and leads research projects into schools for government departments, research agencies, such as Oxford University and UCL, and national bodies, such as the Medical Research Council, and the Big Lottery Fund.
Danny Cooper, Alumni Development Coordinator
Danny is the WCSQM Alumni Development Coordinator. Danny’s role is to oversee, facilitate and support the development of the alumni and the alumni committee. Following his recent graduation from university, he is now a paramedic with the ambulance service; a goal, which he says, he achieved due to the support from the World Class school, St Mary’s College in Hull.
“I joined WCSQM in March 2021 because I’m passionate about supporting young people’s development, and a firm advocate that all students no matter what their background should have equal opportunities to excel and achieve whatever they wish. It was evident that WCSQM had the same sentiments and shared the same passion, and so I’m looking forward to volunteering my time to help reach our shared goals.
I attended World Class lead school, St Mary’s College in Hull through to sixth form. I enjoyed my time at the school and engaged with their youth voice teams and student council and felt the school provided every opportunity I needed to ensure I stood out when applying for university. The staff at the school really do help you achieve your very best – something which was and continues to be supported and boosted further due to its affiliation with and accreditation by WCSQM.
The opportunities and recognition that WCSQM provide really does impact students by encouraging them to continue to be their very best. I really do look forward to working with the alumni and providing support to World Class schools and their World Class students.”
Trustees
Matthew O’Connor, Chair of Trustees
Matthew is a founding director of Scholé International, a school investment and management company that has owned and operated affordable schools in East and Southern Africa since 2012.
After several years in blue-chip management consultancy, he joined the UK government’s National Remodelling Team to implement Workforce Reform and Every Child Matters policy programmes in the state school sector. Since 2011, Matthew has focused on school commissioning, managing the opening of free schools and University Technical Colleges in the UK and a chain of five independent schools in Zambia. Currently, his organisation runs the Makini group of local curriculum schools in Kenya and the Kisubi schools in Uganda.
He lives in North London with his wife and two teenage children.
Mark Nicholls, Trustee
Mark has worked in education for over 30 years and is currently Deputy Headteacher at Sandringham school. He has taught in 5 schools and has been a Head of Year, Head of Department and Head of Sixth form. Prior to joining Sandringham, he was Vice Principal at a Sixth form college. Mark has always enjoyed working with young people and has a particular interest in supporting students to engage with all aspects of school life, particularly those who may not always find it easy to access the opportunities open to them. He is passionate about the responsibility schools have to ensure the personal development of their students in addition to the subject curriculum they study. In addition to these teaching, management and leadership roles, Mark was Alban Federation co-ordinator for six years, leading initial teacher training for an annual cohort of over 50 Primary and Secondary trainees based at Sandringham school with training organised across the area. This role. allowed him to develop links with other schools on a local, regional and national level with close working relationships established with both the trainees now working as qualified teachers and with the mentors who supported their initial development. His current role has reinforced his belief that truly world class schools are communities where students, staff and parents all work together.
Dr Jerry Toner, Trustee
Dr Jerry Toner is a Fellow and Director of Studies at Churchill College, Faculty of Classics, Cambridge University.
Katy Hewin, Trustee
Katy Hewin is Head of Business Management at Columbia Threadneedle Investments.
Charlie Jenkinson, Trustee
Charlie has always focused on the holistic development of individual students. Developing each student’s sense of identity with reference to local, national and global communities is Charlie’s touchstone. Through a career in leading UK boarding schools, and holding academic, pastoral and co-curricular leadership roles concurrently, Charlie has a deep understanding of how complex schools work, how students can make the most of opportunities available to them and how to work with faculty to instil a culture of purpose within a school. Charlie has worked with organisations around the world throughout his career and delivered multiple presentations and workshops to international schools and universities. For the last 4 years he has worked for global organisations committed to social and global mobility and innovation in education, most recently as Chief Strategy Officer for the World Leading Schools Association.
Charlie has developed strong local and global partnerships in all the schools he has worked in and has been heavily involved in several cross-sector partnerships. He was Vice-Chair of The Langley Academy governing body from 2015-2018. TLA is a school which introduced museum-based learning, housing its own on-site museum and working closely with a variety of museums and independent schools with their own collections. Charlie was appointed to this governing body due to his belief in helping students become curators of their learning and life, and it this philosophy which also drives his current businesses. As a strategic thinker and problem-solver, Charlie now works closely with organisations needing cultural change but also commits his time to developing accessible personal development and global education programs for students around the world and helping schools leverage the power of partnerships and networks.
Charitable status
In 2018 World Class Schools Quality Mark was awarded charity status in recognition of the significant benefits to state educated students that Quality Mark accreditation generates, and the positive impact of World Class status on the school, students, the wider community and state education UK wide. As a charity we work to access funding and opportunities to support schools in capitalising on their World Class status, and improve the educational, higher education and vocational opportunities for World Class students.
