Froebelian Independent Preparatory School Horsforth for children aged 3-11 years

In a teaching career that has spanned almost two decades, Anna Coulson progressed quickly from teaching to increasingly senior roles.

She has held positions such as: EYFS and Key Stage One leader, Deputy Headteacher, Head of School, Executive Headteacher, and Director of a large Teaching School Alliance. Anna’s areas of expertise include delivery of school improvement, strategic operational change, curriculum design and innovation and all aspects of teaching and learning.

Throughout her career, Anna has conducted leadership development programmes for middle and senior leaders in primary schools. Starting her career in the business world, Anna recognises the benefit of working alongside business colleagues to secure the best outcomes for children.

In 2016, she developed a programme entitled ‘Developing Future Winners’, which offered a greater understanding of the business environment children may enter, to motivate them to strive to reach their goals.

To this end, Anna has completed her NPQH and, in 2016, was designated a National Leader in Education (NLE). She completed the ‘Building Capacity in a multi-academy trust: the critical role of an executive leader’ programme. In January 2018, Anna was appointed the chief executive officer for a large multi-academy trust, where she led ten schools. Although geographically close, these ten schools were diverse in nature and need.