(The site is currently being updated)

My thinking

Working in public services, the community, within charities and in business I've developed a huge respect for colleagues working at potential, day after day. This respect led to a simple truth - listening carefully to these experts, on the ground, opens up a rich vein of wisdom. We can harness this for success. Learning this led me to a leadership forged on working alongside individuals and teams.

Reflecting on my 50 year career, our best work was always about developing a culture of professional interdependence, encouraging self-belief and the determination to take positive action. Leading in this way is more consensual and less authotitarian. It's means relying on quality assurance and believing in professional learning, in ways that inform, even convert, those who prefer quality control, audit and regulatory processes. Validated self-evaluation is effective, efficient and proven in detailed research. Yes, I am confident that success follows when, we trust the best of our colleagues and support them when they say, "Looking at what we do with a view to doing it better, is part of our work and life. Let us show you what we can do".

My work

I began my career in 1970 teaching English, in Comprehensive Schools. Progressing through to Senior Leadership, Advisory work, I became Deputy Chief Inspector for Nottinghamshire Local Authority in 1993.  I chose to go freelance in 1998, rejecting involvement in the Ofsted approach to improvement. Initial roles included: Executive Headships in schools requiring support (I refuse to label them "failing"); Lead Facilitator & Consultant Evaluator with the National College for Teaching & Leadership; Regional Curriculum Adviser for the DfE. Quickly, my work widened encompassing: Business Leadership in Restoration Consultancy; Publishing and Mentoring over 1,500 start-up consultancies & businesses around the UK. Extensive work in the Community and with Charities, broadened my voiew of leadership. I've authored materials and articles on a range of subjects around leadership, evaluation, well-being and success, see MATERIALS and published two books: "The Evaluation of Pastoral Care & PSHE" and a poetry book "Desire Lines". I am especially proud of The iAbacus self-evaluation and planning tool because creating it captured so much of what I've written about above.  We now know iAbacus helps makes people and organisations successful.

Wider interests 

I'm a proud Chair of Kenyan Education Support charity KES. It's great to provide scholarships to gifted, disadvantaged Kenyan youngsters who would otherwise have little, or no, education.  Our 100 scholars, many now at University, are already making a positive difference to our world.  

 I'm very excited in my new role as Improvement Partner with Sherwood Hospitals NHS Trust.  

 A fine life-balance includes a growing family, writing, blacksmithing, music and climbing high mountains, preferably covered in snow.

 Career 1970-2013 John Pearce CV