Sue Campbell

Sue, a former physical education teacher, has had a distinguished career in sport and education. She held leadership roles with the National Coaching Foundation and the Youth Sport Trust, where she served as Chief Executive and later Chair. Sue chaired UK Sport during Team GB's success at the 2012 London Olympics and became Head of Women’s Football at The FA in 2016. She has received multiple honours, including CBE and Dame Commander titles, and numerous honorary doctorates. Sue’s contributions to sport and education earned her multiple lifetime achievement awards.

Dr James Hewitt 

Human Performance Scientist

Dr.James Hewitt empowers the world’s top-performing organisations with science-backed methods to fuel wellbeing, unleash potential and propel business success. James combines first-hand experience as a full-time racing cyclist with ground-breaking work and research, proven on Formula 1 tracks and with Fortune 500 companies, to provide actionable, inspiring, science-backed insights at the intersection of leadership, wellbeing, peak performance, and the future of work. 

Dr Radha

Dr Radha, Health and Wellbeing Expert, NHS GP, television, radio and podcast broadcaster and author, joined the Youth Sport Trust as a Champion in 2022 to promote sport as tool for wellbeing. Dr Radha  has been instrumental in the development of the Youth Sport Trust Well Schools initiative which aims to improve education outcomes by placing wellbeing at the very heart of school improvement. 

Liz Twyford

Sport Programmes Specialist, UNICEF UK 

Liz has worked at UNICEF UK for over 15 years, specialising in children’s rights in sport. She contributed to the International Inspirational programme for the London 2012 Games and the partnership with the Commonwealth Games. Liz co-founded the International Safeguards for Children in Sport Initiative and is part of FIFA's child safeguarding working group. She leads UNICEF UK's collaboration with the Children’s Coaching Collaborative and spearheaded child rights training for Premier League academies, focusing on player voice and engagement with staff, parents, and young players.

Dr Tom Quarmby

Tom is a Reader in Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy in the Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University, UK. He has worked with children and young people from socially vulnerable backgrounds – including care-experienced children and young people – for the past 13 years. His research centres on the role and value of trauma-aware practice for children and young people in various physical education, physical activity, and sport contexts.  

Jade Windley

Jade is a former British professional tennis player and Wimbledon competitor, with 19 career titles. She represented Great Britain and England, winning a bronze medal at the youth Commonwealth Games. Ranked No.1 in the U18 British rankings and No.3 in the Women’s rankings, Jade travelled the world competing until a serious injury ended her career at 24. Now an Athlete Mentor for the Youth Sport Trust, she also runs a family tennis club in Lincolnshire and will share her experience of delivering the Set for Success programme at the YST Conference.

Jan Shadick

CEO of The Haberdashers’ Academies Trust South

Jan has been the CEO of The Haberdashers’ Academies Trust South since September 2020, leading nine schools in South London. Previously, she was Regional Director at United Learning, overseeing 11 secondary academies. Jan has served as Headteacher at three schools and Executive Headteacher at two London Academies, improving schools from 'inadequate' to 'outstanding'. She is also an Ofsted Inspector and a qualified Executive Coach. Jan trained as a PE and History teacher at the University of Warwick, holds a Masters in Education Leadership, and has an NPQH from UCL Institute of Education.

Jermaine Coleman

Assistant Vice-Principal at Greig City Academy

Jermaine is Assistant Vice-Principal at Greig City Academy in Haringey, London, having started his teaching career in 2004. He previously taught in Bexley and at Oasis Academy in Enfield. A former professional rugby league player, Jermaine played for Halifax, Gateshead Thunder, and London Skolars, earning a test cap for Jamaica in 2017. After retiring, he became a coach, notably serving as head coach for London Skolars and London Broncos, the only black British head coach in professional rugby league. He also coached Jamaica to qualify for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup and led them at the 2021 tournament.

Justin Jose

Justin is a Physical Education specialist with 10 years' experience, dedicated to promoting students' physical, mental, and emotional well-being. As a teacher mentor and YST Primary PE Lead CatalYST, he creates engaging, inclusive lessons for all abilities. Passionate about healthy lifestyles, Justin also coaches sports teams and supports school wellness initiatives, positively impacting the broader school community.

Kate Richardson

Education Director with the CLF

Kate is an Education Director with the CLF, a 35-school MAT in the South West, overseeing primary, secondary, post-16, special, and AP schools. She has worked across the Bristol and Somerset clusters, supporting school improvement. Previously, Kate was Executive Principal and Headteacher at Hareclive E-ACT Academy and Greenfield E-ACT Academy in Bristol, with experience in Hackney, London. Specialising in schools with high deprivation, Kate leads on attendance, wellbeing, and Big Events across the trust, ensuring pupils feel part of the wider CLF family. She also has SENDCo training and experience in various educational roles.

Katie Chapman

Assistant Head and Executive PE Lead at Little Common School

Katie is the Assistant Head and Executive PE Lead at Little Common School in Bexhill, East Sussex, and a Specialist Leader of Education for PE across the Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust. She is also the Lead PE, Sport, and Wellbeing Catalyst for the Youth Sport Trust. With extensive leadership experience, Katie advocates for policy changes, promotes extracurricular activities, and contributes to national initiatives through webinars, blogs, and presentations, aiming to enhance physical education, school sport, and physical activity in schools.

Kev Byrne

Deputy Head at Clare Mount Specialist Sports College

Kev is the Curriculum Deputy Head at Clare Mount Specialist Sports College, a Beacon Well School and Lead Inclusion School, with 28 years of experience in education. He has held various roles across three Sports Colleges, including mathematics and PE teacher, School Games Organiser, and Director of Health and Wellbeing. Kev co-founded the 'Healthy Futures Network' and is passionate about developing a culture of wellbeing. As a trained Mental Health First Aid Instructor, he has trained over 150 individuals, including 60 parents/carers in his current school, across Merseyside and North Wales.

Sian Hall

Head Teacher at St Breock Primary School

Sian is Head Teacher at St Breock Primary School in Cornwall, a founding member of the Well Schools Network. She leads PESSPA for Aspire Academy Trust, shaping the strategic direction of the Well School vision. Sian has driven the inclusion of a Well Trust in the Aspire 2025 Vision development plan and ensures its impact across 37 schools. She is also a Head Teacher Ambassador for the Youth Sport Trust and sits on their MAT Advisory Board. Passionate about wellbeing, Sian ensures its integration in education to positively affect pupils' physical, social, and academic outcomes.

Tess Howard

Olympian, Founder of Inclusive Sportswear 

Tess is a Team GB Olympian and Great Britain hockey player with over 100 caps and a Commonwealth Gold Medal. She campaigned to change national and international hockey uniform policies, allowing players to choose between shorts and skorts, challenging tradition. Her research on gendered sports uniforms' impact on girls’ participation gained widespread media attention in 2023, earning her The Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year Changemaker Award. Tess founded Inclusive Sportswear CIC to advocate for inclusive, choice-based policies in sports kit practices.

Ben Levinson

Director of School and Trust Improvement and Executive Headteacher at The Tapscott Learning Trust

Ben has led Kensington Primary School to flagship status in areas like inclusion and wellbeing, launching an innovative curriculum to prepare students for the 21st century. Under his leadership, the school won Primary School of the Year and Mental Health and Wellbeing School of the Year in 2020. He has advised the Department for Education on workload and wellbeing and contributed to the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter. He is a National Leader of Education, Chair of Well Schools, and a board member for Thrive at Five, as well as an ambassador for the Youth Sport Trust, British Council, and TeachActive.

Dan Keefe

Pastoral Deputy Head at Clare Mount Specialist Sports College

Gareth Potts

Ian Raikes

CEO of Southport Learning Trust

Ian has been CEO of Southport Learning Trust since 2017, after ten years as Headteacher of an outstanding school. The Trust serves eight schools, 6700 pupils, and 850 staff in Sefton, Merseyside. Ian champions high-quality PE and Arts, believing they are central to successful schools. His Trust led initiatives like a run involving 80 schools to fund Knife Bleed kits and took teams to the TCS Mini London Marathon. The Trust also promotes wellbeing through the Well School Trust Framework. Ian, a former football coach, has a strong passion for sport.

Amy Collard

Assistant Head of Physical Education and Mental Health Lead, Wright Robinson College

With 15 years of experience at Wright Robinson College, she has held roles such as Student Leadership Lead, KS3 Lead, and Transition Coordinator. Amy is passionate about physical activity and mental health, implementing initiatives that promote wellbeing for students, staff, and the wider community. She has played a key role in evolving the PE extra-curricular programme and developing a whole-school initiative for student enrichment. Amy thrives in supporting an environment where all students and staff are given opportunities to succeed.

Michael Follett 

OPAL CIC Founder/Director  

Michael Follett is the Director of OPAL CIC (Outdoor Play and Learning Community Interest Company), an international organisation transforming school playtimes globally. His work has supported nearly 2,000 schools and impacted over 1.5 million children across 10 countries. With a background in education and playwork, Michael has served on the Play England board and as an advisor to the National Trust and Football Association. He developed the OPAL Programme and authored Creating Excellence in Primary School Playtimes. Under his leadership, OPAL CIC has grown to employ over 40 mentors, promoting play-based wellbeing and school improvement worldwide.

Adrian Bethune 

Teacher, Associate Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, Deputy Chair of the Well Schools Collective, and Founder of Teachappy.

In 2012, he was awarded a ‘Happy Hero’ medal by Lord Richard Layard at the House of Lords for his work on developing wellbeing in schools. In 2015, he was invited to speak at the Action For Happiness event, Creating A Happier World, on stage with the Dalai Lama. Adrian is the author of the award-winning Wellbeing In The Primary Classroom – A Practical Guide To Teaching Happiness 2nd Edition (Bloomsbury, 2023), co-author with Dr Emma Kell of A Little Guide for Teachers: Wellbeing and Self-Care (Sage, 2020) and lead author for the Oxford International Curriculum for Wellbeing (Oxford University Press, 2021).