Are you looking to transform learning and leadership in your setting? Do you work in education and feel overwhelmed by the challenges? Does your team need support? Or perhaps you’re considering a change of career and are seeking tools and strategies to support the process. Understanding Debbie’s professional journey will help you identify the skills and understanding that could make a difference to your own.
Graduating with Psychology BSc Hons from the Open University, in 2002 Debbie resigned from design agency production management to commence full time teacher training with Oxford Brookes University. As a newly qualified primary teacher at Priory School, Slough, her strengths were quickly recognised and during her third year Debbie was seconded for one day a week to support, mentor and assess initial teacher training across the local authority.
A change of schools in 2008 took Debbie directly onto the Leadership Pay Scale at St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery, enabling her to climb from Assistant Head to Headteacher. Debbie retained her commitment to continuing professional development, achieving the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) in 2014. During her last two years as Headteacher, Debbie successfully led a team of 80 staff and over 600 children through two inspections, resulting in an outstanding outcome for Section 48 and good for Section 8, before leaving in 2019 to share her skills and knowledge elsewhere.
Debbie successfully completed the Department for Education (DfE) National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL), before setting up her own consultancy. Debbie is currently an associate NPQ Leadership Performance Coach with Best Practice Network, supporting over 30 school leaders as they work towards their NPQSL. Debbie regularly tutors and supports parents and carers with Bucks Family Learning, delivering a range of curriculum workshops focused on supporting children in EYFS and Key Stage 1.
Gerry Crawford, then Vice President of Carling Communications Ltd, described Debbie as ‘the poster girl for lifelong learning’. This apt description, together with the breadth of her work and life experience, reflects Debbie’s strengths for school improvement and support; whether coaching school leaders, delivering staff training, family tuition or project management.
Debbie Rainer 