Matt was a Primary Executive Principal for the Harris Federation opening Harris Primary Academy Mayflower in 2014, the largest primary free school in the UK, working with Principal Katie Hanley to achieve an ‘Outstanding‘ Ofsted judgement in May 2017 before securing an Outstanding judgement at Harris Primary Academy Chafford Hundred, an academy that had been graded as Requires Improvement when he took up the role of Executive Principal in 2014. Matt has also worked as a School Improvement Partner in Lambeth and served for 4 years as a member of the National College for School Leadership’s governing council between 2002 and 2006.

In 2019 Matt worked as Assistant Director for Primary Education at the Harris Federation. He was responsible for a cluster of primary academies across South London and Thurrock, as well as leading on primary assessment and the compliance team, before moving to his current role at Authentic Education in 2024.

Matt is passionate about the value of coaching in school improvement and believes that effective leadership, utilising coaching for improvement can ensure ordinary staff can achieve extra-ordinary outcomes when discretionary effort, combined with a clear vision and shared values combine to create organisational synergy. Matt is a Birmingham City football fan and can often be found at weekends and evenings following his team around the country.