The Team
The Researchers in Schools Team
Jonathan Sobczyk, Director
Jonny is a Co-Founder of RIS and oversees the partnerships structure of the programme. He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Durham. He then joined the 2008 cohort of Teach First and taught Citizenship at Bow Boys School in Tower Hamlets. Jonny left the classroom to found The Brilliant Club with Simon Coyle in 2011. Jonny and Simon were named in the ‘Top 10 Young UK Social Entrepreneurs’ in 2012, were listed in The Observer’s ‘Britain’s 50 New Radicals‘ and recently short-listed for The Sunday Times ‘Social Enterprise of the Year’ competition. Jonny and Simon were also listed in Social Enterprise UK’s ‘Top 5 Start Up Companies of 2012′. Jonny has also written for The Guardian and The Telegraph.
Simon Coyle, Director
Simon Coyle is a Co-Founder of RIS and oversees the business operations of the programme and strategic development. He read Economics and Politics at the University of Warwick, before going on to study for a Masters degree in Political Theory at the University of Sheffield. He joined the Teach First Graduate Scheme in 2008 and taught Citizenship and History at Kingsmead School, Enfield for two years. He left classroom teaching to co-found The Brilliant Club with his colleague Jonny Sobczyk, motivated by his experience of working with talented young people in the state sector and also by the opportunity to promote university-style learning in schools. Simon grew up in rural Nottinghamshire and outside of work is a keen musician and follower of Nottingham Forest.
Dr. Chris Wilson, Director
Chris is a Co-Founder of RIS and oversees the recruitment and university relationships. Chris became interested in medieval history at the University of Cambridge where he completed his undergraduate and MPhil degrees, receiving a double first and ‘distinguished performance’ (distinction) respectively. During this time there he was awarded the Taylor Scholarship. After leaving Cambridge he spent two years working as a government lobbyist in London for Keene Public Affairs. During the course of his PhD research at the University of Exeter he taught on the Department of History’s Foundation Course for three years and was a lead tutor on the course for two. During this time he became an Associate of the Higher Education Academy. Chris’ research focused on thirteenth-century ecclesiastical history and was generously funded by a University of Exeter College of Humanities Studentship.
Jed Cinnamon, National Programme Director
Jed is National Programme Director at Researchers in Schools and oversees the development of the programme, including managing school relationships, recruitment and participant training and support. After graduating from New College, University of Oxford with a degree in History, Jed completed the Leadership Development Programme with Teach First in the East Midlands. He then led the English Department and literacy team at Prendergast Vale College, an all-through school in Lewisham, South-East London, before joining the Teach First London team to support trainee teachers and develop school relationships. Outside of work, Jed is a governor at a primary school in South London, and is a keen Tottenham Hotspur supporter.
Michael Slavinsky, Teaching and Learning Director
Michael Slavinsky is a founding Director of The Brilliant Club and oversees the RIS Module which provides training and support towards the aims of the programme. Michael studied Modern and Middle-Eastern Languages at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, and a French PgDip at Birkbeck College. He taught French at London Academy, Edgware where as Head of Department he was responsible for mentoring new teachers, and as a Sixth Form tutor supported students with their university application processes. After leaving the classroom in 2011, Michael was appointed Teaching and Learning Director of The Brilliant Club’s Researcher Development Programme, designing and delivering the training curriculum that equipped doctoral and post-doctoral researchers with the teaching skills to design courses based on their own specialisms for school-age pupils.
Andrew Lifford, Teaching and Learning Officer
Within his role, Andrew is responsible for delivering teacher training content for participants on the programme. Andrew taught English in a secondary school in Worksop, Nottinghamshire for two years as part of the TeachFirst Leadership Development Programme (2009 cohort). He has also worked as a Senior Researcher at the Key for School Leaders, specialising in writing articles on pedagogy, curriculum reforms ad evidence-based practice. He has been a Governor at two primary schools in London. Andrew read American Studies with International Study at Nottingham University and Illinois University, Chicago. In his spare time Andrew is a keen writer, amateur stand-up comedian and musician.
Rachel Lawrence - RIS Hub Director, Lampton
Rachel read Theology at Trinity College Oxford, before doing a PGCE at St. Mary’s University College Twickenham. She later completed a Masters in Teaching at the Institute of Education, and is currently in her second year of an Educational Doctorate at Kings College London. Rachel worked as an Advanced Skills teacher for Hounslow LEA and London Challenge. She worked with primary and secondary teachers and in various subject areas including Humanities, Maths and Science. As part of her work as an AST she also worked as a visiting lecturer at St. Mary’s University College, Twickenham. She became Head of Religious Studies at Lampton School in 2011 and in 2012 led the department in their application to be one of the pilot schools for the national RE Quality Mark. The department was awarded the Gold Award which recognised the work of the department as consistently outstanding. Rachel is an Associate Senior Leader at Lampton School.
Elizabeth Nuttall – Senior Programme Manager
Liz is responsible for managing and quality assuring the support RIS provides to participants, mentors and schools; she also delivers aspects of the RIS training. Liz has spent six years working in education and over the past three years worked as Lead Practitioner of Humanities and ITT/NQT Co-ordinator at an academy in South-East London. She has also taught in schools in both Manchester and across London as a History and Religious Studies teachers, as well as further afield in Ghana, delivering teacher training sessions to English and Maths teachers. She trained through the GTP programme; the predecessor to Schools Direct, and has a range of experience working with Pupil premium students. Liz studies History and Politics at Warwick University, followed by an MA in Conflict, Secutiry and Development at King’s College, London.
Charlie Ledley, Programme Manager
Charlie is a RIS Programme Manager and is passionate about improving opportunities for young people from all backgrounds. After graduating from Lancaster University where she studied History and Politics, Charlie helped to establish a community radio station which had a particular focus on enthusing young people and encouraging them to take a more active role in their local community. In 2012 Charlie joined the Teach First Leadership Development Programme teaching English at Lodge Park Academy in Corby. Since then, Charlie has worked as a Teaching and Learning Associate at Barnwell School in Stevenage where she mentored trainee teachers and provided twilight CPD sessions for more experienced teachers in order to improve pupil progress. Outside of work, Charlie is a keen sports fan.
Nicholas Cater, Recruitment Manager
Nicholas is responsible for all aspects of the programme’s recruitment processes, from initial attraction and advertising, through to assessment and placement. Since graduating from Durham University with a degree in Modern Languages and a Masters in Translation, Nicholas worked initially as an Accountant, then freelance translator, before finally settling on recruitment. He worked at a boutique recruitment firm in Central London where he was responsible for the delivery of several national graduate schemes. Outside of work, Nicholas enjoys keeping his languages up to scratch and is a keen traveller, particularly around Europe and Russia.
Holly Howarth, Recruitment Officer
Holly supports participants from application to on-boarding, and manages the assessment centres. Holly has worked within the third sector both in the UK and overseas since graduating from the University of East Anglia with a BA in History of Art in 2011. She has been involved in numerous arts and cultural organisations, with a focus on youth development and global education, including international projects with the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts and NCS The Challenge. Holly worked for the British Council on the co-funded DfID programme: Connecting Classrooms, and over the last two years has had stints working in Central America for Raleigh International as a Programme Manager. Outside of Researchers in Schools, Holly is a freelance Creative Consultant.
Daniel Knight, Corporate Partnerships Manager
Dan is responsible for managing the relationships with Researchers in Schools’ Industry Partners, working to create mutually-beneficial partnerships that have a positive impact for the organisation, our corporate partners and the schools we work with. After graduating from Reading University where he studied Psychology, Dan entered the charity sector, managing a diverse range of high-profile corporate relationships, first for a large financial charity, and more recently, for a national membership organisation. In his spare time, Dan is passionate about live music and Tottenham Hotspur FC.
Thaiba Akhter, Programme Administrator
Thaiba studied Law with European Studies at Portsmouth University. After graduating, she undertook various internships in law firms: shadowing solicitors in clinical negligence and commercial litigation within the public sector and charities departments. Thaiba then went on to work within the education sector, for a literacy and language company specialised in improving educational outcomes.