Author list

Richard James has been teaching and organising chess for children since 1972. Between 1975 and 2006, Richard ran the highly successful Richmond Junior Chess Club, whose members included Luke McShane, Jonathan Rowson and other future grandmasters. He is also the author of Chess for Kids and The Right Way to Teach Chess to Kids, and has written extensively on chess history and trivia.

Discover Richard's websites:

Chess with Richard – Transforming children's lives through chess

Sian James manages a national creative learning programme with the Arts Council of Wales and has supported over 700 schools and their teachers to explore innovative pedagogy and prepare for the introduction of a new expansive curriculum. Having gained her Masters at Trinity College, Sian started out as a television researcher, going on to spend over a decade working within Communications for the Arts and Heritage sector in Wales. Sian is passionate about the arts, and the sector’s positive engagement with education.

Lisa Jane Ashes is an experienced professional development provider for all things teaching and learning. Lisa has worked in many school-based roles, ranging from classroom support to leadership, and her ability to create collaborative curriculums that allow all learning to be taken forward, used and improved comes from her many and varied experiences in schools.

Click here to listen to Lisa on the Pivotal Podcast.

Click here to read Lisa's article on Innovate my School.

Click here to read Lisa Jane Ashes' blog.

 

Kay Jarvis was a tutor in the faculty of Health and Social Care at the University of Lincoln, where she spearheaded the Parents and Children Working Together Project. She regularly ran training courses for parents on lifelong learning skills, and was a high school governor. Kay now spends her time on research, travel and writing.

Jonathan Jay is founder of The Coaching Academy, Europe's leading school for personal and business coaches. He has taught over 5,000 people how to set up their business - and how to make a success of it. A committed entrepreneur and presenter of the BBC's popular 'Get a New Life- show, he is also a regular conference and seminar presenter. Jonathan is proud to be leading the UK's Sack Your Boss revolution.

Jaz Ampaw-Farr is a writer, international speaker and self-described ‘resilience ninja’ whose enthusiasm is both infectious and hugely motivating. Her background as a stand-up comedian and teacher, combined with her commitment to empowering teachers, makes her talks both engaging and resourceful. Named "The British Oprah" by US audiences and three-time winner of Speaker of the Year, Jaz's raw honesty and humour have already inspired millions through her viral TED talk and headline keynotes for organisations from Google to Gucci.

In her powerful memoir-meets-manifesto, Because of You, This Is Me, she brings her signature blend of transformation and laughter to the page.

She is also the star of a new Edinburgh Fringe show and the subject of Restory Your Life, the Cannes award-winning documentary from Noskco Films.

Articles and interviews available

Jaz is available for interview, expert comment or bylined articles on a range of topics, such as:

• How five teachers saved my life
• Trauma-informed teaching: what every educator needs to know
• Supporting children from disadvantaged backgrounds
• 10% braver: a practical guide to overcoming adversity
• Why diversity in education is crucial
• Human-first leadership: lessons from an everyday hero
• Reclaiming your narrative 

View the press release for Because of You, This is Me here.

Discover Jaz's recent news here.

100 Years, 100 Women: Jaz Ampaw-Farr' - click here to listen in.

'Dear Teacher, I Know my Behaviour Makes you Mad, but you Need to Understand what my Life is Like- - click here to read the full article on teachwire.

Jaz has been named a TIME Person of the Year' 2017 - see her video here.

Interview with Jaz Ampaw-Farr ' how to be 10% braver.

Angela Jenkins has extensive experience in English education and school improvement having worked as an adviser in three different local authorities and two multi-academy trusts in the last 20 years. As well as providing link adviser support for individual schools she also took strategic responsibility for English and assessment. Recently, Angela has worked as an independent consultant, providing specialist advice and support for the development of exceptional curriculum, pedagogy and assessment both in primary and secondary settings. She is currently co-chair of the National Association of Advisers in English (NAAE).

Alan Jervis taught in seven different high schools over a period of more than 28 years. He has delivered over 600 courses to teachers in Britain on brain based learning, delivering outstanding lessons, thinking skills, emotional intelligence and Assessment for Learning. He has also trained teachers in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.

Jill has taught for thirty years in six different schools, both state and independent, and was a head for the last ten years of her time in schools. She has also taught at GCSE and A-Level in the evenings for several years. Since then, Jill has completed a doctorate that explored the transition into headship, wrote a book about it; Making The Leap: Moving from Deputy to Head and carried out an extensive range of leadership development work. She has also given a TEDx presentation on the subject ‘Take a Second Look: Bring Out the Best in Yourself and Others’, which you can watch here and has published three short novels.

Georgina Jonas - the pen name for the collective talent and expertise of one full-time teacher, who has also been a children's storyteller, and one former headmistress who currently tutors and leads workshops to show parents the best way to help their children with maths and English.

Click here to read the author's article for SecEd in which she offers guidance for engaging reluctant readers.

Having spent over a decade working in education ' as a teacher, a deputy head and an adviser ' Verity Jones is now a senior lecturer at the University of the West of England, Bristol. She continues to provide training for both new and experienced teachers on how to ensure every child reaches their potential.