Our People

Dan Cowling has been Headteacher at Oak Wood School in Hillingdon, West London, since April 2020. During his tenure, he has overseen a period of rapid school improvement that saw the school judged as a ‘Good’ school by Ofsted in May 2022 for the first time in 13 years. The school has expanded rapidly during this time from 1062 pupils in September 2020 to just under 1300 this year and Dan has overseen a huge reduction in the school’s historical inherited deficit from £3.6 million to £2.3 million through prudent and deliberate financial planning. Dan has been teaching for over 25 years and has proven to be an outstanding, passionate teacher as well as a highly-skilled classroom practitioner and school leader. He is also a highly experienced and well-respected author of geographical textbooks and journals and has presented at a wide range of national conferences. He is driven by a fundamental belief that all children can succeed.

My career in education spans forty years, including twenty-six years in Headship leading several schools in different local authorities. For the last two years I have been the Managing Director for the Hillingdon Learning Partnership a CPD and development network offering a wide range of training opportunities for over 75% of Hillingdon schools. I also teach on a number of different NPQ courses run by UCL / Teach West. Alongside this I work as an Alliance Partner for a group of nineteen schools in East Sussex.

I am an experienced school leader in the primary age phase and currently Headteacher at Frithwood Primary School in Northwood. I am a firm believer in lifelong learning and I am passionate about education for all. I believe that CPD opportunities with a sound research base can empower teachers and support staff working in all areas of education and at all phases of their career. Effective collaboration and networking can promote success for the children and young people that we work with. It is a joy to be part of the growth of the Hillingdon Learning Partnership

For the last ten years I have been an independent educational consultant with experience of supporting schools and leaders in all phases. Prior to this I was a headteacher in London and in Milton Keynes. I hope I am friendly, funny, personable and incredibly organised, ensuring excellence and providing an exemplary service is at the heart of all of my work with colleagues in schools. I admire greatly the work colleagues do in schools. I was born in Hillingdon and attended schools in the borough. I joined HLP in September 2023 and am supremely keen to work with schools to support the best outcomes for pupils in Hillingdon. I am passionate about ethical leadership. As an independent consultant I offer support in the following areas, including strategic school improvement; leadership development through coaching and mentoring; developing ethos and critically reflective practice of all staff; headteacher appraisal; school self evaluation; through strengthening leadership at all levels; improving teaching and learning; using drama techniques in all subjects; building an outstanding computing curriculum; governance training and reviews; curriculum review and development; safeguarding audits.

I have been Head of School at William Byrd Primary Academy since September 2022. William Byrd is a thriving three form entry school with a Nursery which is situated in Harlington with close proximity to Heathrow. The school is part of a Trust with a Primary School, Belmore Primary Academy and a Secondary School, Barnhill Community High School which are both situated in Yeading. We serve a diverse multi-cultural, multi-lingual community and it is exciting to implement a curriculum which reflects and builds on the experiences the children know, as well as providing windows into unknown cultures, experiences and histories. I am particularly proud of the commitment my staff have to always improving their practice and visitors have commented on how open my staff are to coaching and feedback. We welcome visitors and are keen to be part of professional conversations to support both ourselves and others in the HLP.

I am Surjeet Johra and a principal in a Multi Academy Trust with schools in the Hillingdon Borough. I have worked in the Hillingdon Borough for over a decade now and always appreciate the networking, learning and camaraderie amongst colleagues. My own school is a four/five forms primary school with a Special Educational Needs Unit in central Hayes. I am a governor in two schools (out of the Hillingdon Borough) and enjoy giving back what I have learnt from my own experiences as well as learning from these schools. Previously, I have worked in schools based in the Ealing (NQT) and Hounslow (NQT+ to Deputy Head) Boroughs leading the National Numeracy strategy when this was launched and Enrichment provision for the Gifted and Talented. Working with the Hillingdon Learning Partnership Board means I get involved in an area that is close to my heart- continuing professional development for all and collaboration.

I have been the headteacher of Minet Infant and Nursery School since September 2021. Minet Infant and Nursery School is a four-form entry school and serves a diverse community in the heart of the Hayes area of Hillingdon. The school has an inclusive ethos and works diligently to ‘raise aspirations’ for all children. Previously, I worked as a senior leader for many years in an inner city primary school with a Resource Provision for PMLD children in London Borough of Newham. I have continued my involvement with this school as a co-opted governor. As a school leader, I have gained experience related to curriculum development, coaching, CPD, financial management and improving distributed leadership capacity in particular. High-quality professional development is paramount in establishing the highest standard of teaching and learning and I believe local partnerships such the Hillingdon Learning Partnership are fundamental in achieving this.