Honorary Officers

President - Professor Alma Harris

Professor Alma Harris first trained as a secondary school teacher and taught in a number of schools in South Wales. During her time as a teacher she completed her MEd degree at the University of Wales in Cardiff and was seconded to the Welsh Development Agency as a Business Development Adviser. She left teaching after her secondment to start her own company and to complete her PhD studies. After completing her PhD at Bath University in 1993 she commenced her academic career. She worked as a research assistant for several years before taking up a staff tutor position at the Open University. After three years with the OU she moved to the University of Nottingham as a lecturer and was subsequently promoted to Senior Lecturer and Reader. During this time she was Director of Research Students. She was appointed to a Chair in Leadership at the University of Warwick in 2000 and has been Director of the Institute of Education since 2003. Alma’s research areas include educational leadership, school improvement, transformation and change. Alma’s recent research is focusing on the process of transformation and turnaround in health, sport, education and business. Alma was elected to her Presidency of The College in January 2009.

Senior Vice-President - Andrew Garfath-Cox

Andrew Garfath-Cox, now retiring after 40 years, has taught in a variety of secondary schools balanced between the maintained and independent sectors. Starting as a teacher of mathematics in a secondary modern, then a grammar school, as Head of Computing in a sixth form college, a year’s secondment to the Surrey Inspectorate training teachers in using computers in the classroom and after 23 years in Woodbridge School, Suffolk as Head of ICT, he has finished his career in the local comprehensive teaching mathematics again. For five years starting in January 2000, Andrew was the Mathematics Quality Controller for the BAFTA award winning Homework High online website working for Channel 4. For many years, Andrew was Regional Secretary of the Eastern Region which hosted a College of Teachers Award Ceremony at Ely and a Harold Dent Lecture given by Professor Jean Ruddock at Homerton College, Cambridge. He is an internal Charter auditor and a Vice-President of The College with an overview of membership.

Vice-President and Dean - Dr Raphael Wilkins

Dr Raphael Wilkins is Chair of the awards committee responsible for ensuring the standards of The College’s qualifications. As one of the Vice Presidents his particular responsibility is for continuing professional development. Raphael works for the Institute of Education, University of London, as Head of Consultancy and Knowledge Transfer in the London Centre for Leadership in Learning, and Director of Consultancy in the Faculty of Policy and Society. Before joining the Institute in 2006, his career included teaching; education officer roles in four local authorities including over 12 years in Chief Officer level posts; national roles with Parliament and the local authority associations; six years of senior level consultancy, research and writing and attachments to a number of universities. Raphael has published over 50 articles and research reports, has led many workshops on leadership issues and has presented papers or keynotes at education conferences in Britain, Denmark, The Netherlands, Canada, USA and India.

Vice-President - Sarah Bowie

Sarah Bowie was elected on to the GTCE Council by teachers in Spring 2000 and re-elected in 2004 and 2008. She is currently Vice Chair of The College's Council, having been elected in May 2008, sits on the GTCE’s executive committee and is an ex-officio on other committees. Sarah was a nursery teacher in a small primary school in Leeds, a post she held for 18 years. She now works as a supply teacher in Leicestershire. She is keen to promote the value of early education and raise the status of its practitioners. She is proud to be a founder member of the GTCE. The most rewarding aspect of her work has been meeting teachers and student teachers. She has enjoyed hearing teachers’ views on many of the initiatives the GTCE has been involved in and it is gratifying to know that these views have been translated into concrete guidance for teachers and advice to government. In the next few years, Sarah hopes to be able to spread a positive message about the work of the GTCE to many more teachers, and to stakeholders in education.

Secretary - Geoffrey Edwards

As one of the Honorary Officers and Secretary Geoffrey Edwards is part of the team that guides The College’s overall strategic direction. The College continues to undergo considerable development as it meets the challenges of a constantly changing educational scene both in the UK and overseas. Geoffrey taught in primary and middle schools in London and Berkshire. He was a primary head for ten years during which he had secondments to the advisory service and to a college of HE. Geoffrey was a Senior Adviser at the London Diocesan Board for Schools where, amongst other responsibilities, he was involved in school leadership development, inspections and governor training. He retired from this post in 2007 and now acts as an education consultant.

Treasurer - Keith Lawrey

Keith Lawrey has been the Learned Societies’ Liaison Officer at the Foundation for Science and Technology since 1997. He is responsible for the 200 societies subscribing to the Foundation for producing the bi-monthly newsletter, for giving legal support including petitioning for incorporation by Royal Charter, for guiding on matters of professional discipline and for drafting responses to consultative documents. Keith has served as Justice of the Peace since 1974 in the City of Westminster PSA, Honorary Clerk of the Guild of Educators since 1997, Honorary Treasurer of the College of Teachers since 1987, member of the Registration Authority of the Science Council since 2003, Member of the Privy Council Panel of the Engineering Council UK since 2006, and is also a Methodist local preacher. Keith was also a lecturer in law and is married with four children and four grandchildren.

Patrons

Professor Sir Tim Brighouse

Professor Sir Tim Brighouse was Chief Adviser for London Schools and visiting professor at the Institute of Education at London University. Until September 2002 he was Chief Education Officer in Birmingham for nearly ten years. Prior to that he was Professor of Education at Keele University (1989-1993), Chief Education Officer of Oxfordshire (1978-1989) and Deputy Education Officer in the ILEA. He was brought up in East Anglia and read history at Oxford University before embarking on a career in education and teaching in grammar and secondary modern schools. Tim has written extensively especially on school improvement and has a number of books and articles to his name. He has also broadcast on radio and television and has spoken at many national and international conferences.

Dr Bernadette Porter

Dr Bernadette Porter joined the Education Faculty at Roehampton University as a teacher, and was appointed as Principal of Digby Stuart College in 1989. She became increasingly involved in the project to create Roehampton as a University in its own right, becoming Pro-Rector in 1995, Senior Pro-Rector in 1997 and Rector and Chief Executive in 1999. Whilst university status was achieved in January 2000, Dr Porter led the institution for another four years, retiring in 2004. She was appointed CBE in the New Years Honors list of 2005 for her services to Higher Education. Bernadette is currently working for the United Nations.

Professor John Turner

Professor John Turner was President of the College of Preceptors and the College of Teachers from 1994-2004. John specialised largely on education in low income countries in Africa for many years. From 1981 -1984 he was founding Vice-Chancellor of the University of Botswana. In England he taught as an Education Officer in the R.A.F., at Prince Henry’s Grammar School in Eversham, and at the Universities of Exeter and Manchester. At Manchester he became Dean of Education and Pro-Vice-Chancellor. John was Chairman of the Universities Council for the Education of Teachers and the Council of Validating Universities. He was Chairman of Council of Abbotsholme School for 18 years. He has been a Methodist Local Preacher since 1950.