Russell Stanley
SMSC Verifier
Since abandoning a fairly boring but successful career in finance in 2006, Russell has built up a strong background of working in and with schools, firstly as a primary school teacher, and then in a variety of roles across Personal, Social, Health & Economic (PSHE) education within both Education and Public Health departments for a Local Authority, including managing a Healthy Schools team. He has extensive experience of working with a range of different community partners and organisations and has also served as a Chair of Governors in a primary school and held other voluntary roles working to support positive outcomes for children and young people.
Russell now runs his own PSHE support service, Health & Wellbeing in Schools Ltd, and works across the country supporting schools and other organisations as an independent PSHE consultant and advisor, covering PSHE, RSHE, SMSC and broader Personal Development themes.
Russell is passionate about PSHE education and the unique difference that this subject can make to the lives of children and young people, both now and in their futures. Much of his work with schools is in enabling them to match their wider aims with the huge benefits that a strong and effective PSHE curriculum can bring.
“Having worked with such a range of different schools and professionals in my career, I am completely convinced that effective PSHE, along with SMSC as a core component of pupil’s personal development, is the bedrock upon which schools should build their practise. Regardless of ‘what type of school you are’, the fundamental skills, knowledge and understanding that our children need to develop to be safe, happy, healthy and successful are based within this.” Health and Wellbeing In Schools: https://www.schoolhwb.co.uk/
John Rees
SMSC Verifier
John is passionately committed to improving the learning and life chances of children and young people through the professional development of individuals and organisations.
Having taught for 12 years, latterly as a senior leader, John led the transformation of a theory-driven, evidence-informed health education research project from Exeter University. This eventually involved 200+ schools across the UK and overseas, with unique evidence of health benefits and educational improvement.
An independent educational advisor since 2006, John has been a Regional Advisor for the PSHE Association and the National PSHE CPD programme.
John currently works with Local Authorities, schools, and commercial organisations to support health and school improvement across the UK and overseas.
John Rees
[email protected]
07710 401 688
Roy Huggins
SMSC Verifier
Roy Huggins is a highly accomplished and passionate educational leader with over 35 years of experience in middle and senior management, driving innovation and excellence in teaching and learning. His expertise in curriculum design and implementation is extensive, complemented by a deep understanding of fostering creative and imaginative learning experiences that promote personal growth.
Roy was at the original launch of the National Quality Mark for SMSC in the House of Lords in 2017. He has worked has previous provided expert audits and support to hundreds of primary and secondary schools nationwide, as well as several higher education institutions. This role underscores his proven ability to support schools in enhancing their whole-school development and SMSC provision.
Roy’s background also includes significant experience in curriculum development and content creation, having authored school textbooks and online content for leading educational publishers. He has also won two national teaching awards from BECTA in both the gifted and talented and SEND categories.
He currently has over 1000 lessons which can be downloaded from the TES: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/Roy_Huggins as well as a dedicated YouTube Channel for History Teachers: https://www.youtube.com/@historyacademy and another on the Miners’ Strike.
Roy Huggins’ commitment to inspirational teaching and learning, coupled with exceptional communication and collaboration skills, makes him a valuable asset in supporting schools to excel in their SMSC journey.
Emily Cotterill
SMSC Verifier
After working as a Head of Department for PSHE, RE and Citizenship in inner-city secondary schools for 10 years, Emily founded her company, EC Publishing Ltd, with a primary-teacher friend. Her free lesson resources have had 17 million downloads globally and have won her contracts working with the Bank of England, The Royal British Legion, The Children’s Commissioner, The Criminal Cases Review Commission and numerous UK charities.
Through EC Publishing Ltd she provides customisable and affordable Statutory-Guidance PSHE, RE and Citizenship Packages for thousands of UK and International schools, as well as providing PSHE and Citizenship curriculum consultancy work.
Emily also recently worked on the creation of the National Talent Academy’s Essential Work Skills courses alongside David Jaffa of the Jaffa Foundation.
She brings a passion for community-cohesion through British Values and inter-faith dialogue, and in her spare time volunteers with community-focused charities and on local green projects.
Emily has an exceptional enthusiasm for SMSC as the bedrock from which children can flourish and meet their full potential. She looks forward to working further with schools as invaluable ally and a key contributor in strengthening their SMSC provision.www.ecpublishing.co.uk
Sandra Saint
SMSC Verifier
Sandra Saint is a passionate advocate for positive personal development, championing initiatives that foster growth across schools, workplaces, and communities.
As a highly experienced qualified teacher (BA Hons QTS), Sandra dedicated nearly a decade as a PSHEe/Healthy Schools School Improvement Adviser within a Local Authority. During this time, she developed impactful education programmes and resources at local, regional, and national levels.
Sandra has a proven track record in Health & Wellbeing education, having run her own successful consultancy and training business. She is a sought-after national speaker on Promoting Fundamental British Values (PfBV) and SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural) curricula. Her commitment to quality assurance in education is further demonstrated by her past roles as a national verifier for the Citizenship Foundation’s SMSC Quality Mark award and as a national Adviser and Verifier for Optimus’ Wellbeing Award for Schools (WAS).
Currently, Sandra is a Director of Golden Tree CIC, a community interest company delivering innovative Mental Health & Wellbeing programmes nationwide, and she actively delivers mental health training to organisations across the country. Her diverse experience also includes serving as a school Governor, a Trustee of Eden MAT, and as a mother of two, bringing a well-rounded perspective to her advocacy.
Abbie Underwood
SMSC Verifier
Abbie has worked in education for over 15 years and is passionate about ensuring that nurture and SMSC are at the heart of school life. She is dedicated to improving the learning and life chances of children and young people by supporting the professional development of individuals, schools and organisations.
In 2019, Abbie became a verifier for the National SMSC Quality Mark and since then has visited and verified numerous schools across the UK. As part of this role, she not only evaluates SMSC provision but also offers schools tailored advice and guidance to strengthen and celebrate their practice. Alongside verification, she has delivered training sessions and created SMSC resources for a national PSHE scheme, which are regularly used by teaching professionals across the country.
A strong advocate for inclusion, Abbie believes that every child and young person should feel valued, supported and able to thrive within their school community. She is committed to ensuring that all pupils have access to meaningful experiences and opportunities that allow them to follow their passions, broaden their horizons and develop their confidence and skills to thrive both academically and personally.
David Brandrick
SMSC Verifier
David is currently 6th Form Lead and PSHE/SMSC Lead at an Outstanding SEN school. David started out in SEN education before completing 16 years in secondary education, recently returning to SEN teaching to take up his most recent post. He believes passionately in the holistic development of young people and that PSHE/Citizenship/SMSC development should be the foundation of school life if we are to truly develop our young people into confident, self-assured adults who are able to be active citizens in their local communities.
As a firm believer of learning outside the classroom, David has engaged multi-agencies from across the education sector to enhance and enrich the delivery of SMSC and British values to young people. He supports the delivery of the wider British Values and PSHE vision as Vice Chair on the governing boards of a Pupil Referral Unit and local primary school.
In today’s world, the values which bind us have never been more relevant in helping to develop and sustain communities, provide safe spaces for discussion and critical thinking in the classroom, as well as ensuring young people have a voice and place in society from which to thrive.
As educators, we must always remember that we hold the next generation in our hands!