Adrian Packer CBE on education and transforming schools

Adrian Packer CBE is the CEO of the Core Education Trust, who run a number of academy schools in the Birmingham area. Adrian has a fascinating career, having started as a teacher at the Brit School, teaching pupils such as Amy Winehouse. He was given the unenviable task of turning around a number of failing schools. He’s keen to point out that academically the children were excellent but the governance and finances were all over the place. Here’s what he has to say about aligning a team in a crisis. I loved Adrian’s dogged determination balanced with a collaborative approach. Those two things might seem at opposite ends of the spectrum but I’m impressed by his ability to hold the polarity of strength and gentleness. He had “One love” as his mantra, knowing that he had tough decisions to make and a variety of stakeholders with differing needs and opinions to manage. I think that speaks volumes about Adrian’s ability to lead and he’s honest about how challenging it is to lead a team in crisis. Where do you need to balance dogged determination with collaboration? Where might a “One love” approach help you with tough decision-making? www.judejennison.com

Adrian Packer CBE on education and transforming schools

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