Gareth Davies

Gareth has over 15 years experience of working directly with Young Offenders and NEET young people throughout South Wales, in an advisory capacity and at strategic management level for Careers Wales and Cardiff Youth Offending Service. During this period Gareth developed a wide variety of strategies and tools that could motivate the most challenging and disengaged young people, with the aim of re-engaging them in Education, Employment or Training. Importantly, the training delivered by Portal is equally relevant to those working within mainstream settings such as schools, as it is to those working within Young Offenders institutions. Gareth main areas of expertise are motivating the disengaged and the NEET’s agenda.

Gwawr Booth

Gwawr was originally appointed as our Development Manager October 2009 due to the rapid expansion of the business.   She has now become a Director of Portal and has over 15 years experience of teaching within several large Comprehensive schools across Wales with her last post being as Assistant Head.  Previous to this position, she was Head of a large Welsh Department and innovative Bilingual Faculty but enjoyed several responsibilities within each of the schools such as Assistant Year tutor, Key Skills Co-ordinator, as well as 2nd in department roles. Apart from the promotion of bilingualism, Gwawr’s main areas of research are Learner Voice and the Underachievement of Boys.

Peter Jenkins

Peter Jenkins is Head teacher of Hartridge High School which is an 11-18 mixed secondary school situated in Newport serving one of the most economically and socially deprived areas within Wales.  He has held this position since 2010 having previously been Head teacher for nine years at Ferndale Community School in the Rhondda Valley.

During his time as a Head teacher his leadership has been described, in an ESTYN report, as ‘outstanding’ and ‘dynamic’ and it recognised the fact that ‘the school had moved forward significantly and has a real sense of purpose’.  He has also undertaken the role of a ‘School Effectiveness Associate’, a position he found both challenging and stimulating.

Alwyn Thomas

Alwyn is currently the Head teacher of Bryntirion Comprehensive School and has just returned from a secondment at Estyn having worked on the new Estyn Common Inspection Framework document.

Dr Glenda Jones

Glenda has enjoyed an extremely busy and varied career with many a title associated with her name. She has been a lay Estyn inspector since 2009, reporting on both English and Welsh medium schools. Over the past 8 years, Glenda has spent an increasing proportion of her time working in the field of bilingual training and facilitation for both the public and private sector clients such as the Welsh Assembly Government, Urdd Gobaith Cymru, the Vale of Glamorgan Council, Working Word PR and Market to name a few.

She was appointed a member of the S4C authority in April 2010. She was a facilitator and researcher for the National Behaviour and Attendance Review (Wales) between January and March 2008. Glenda worked as a facilitator and trainer for the ‘Your Voice, Your Choice’ WAG funded initiative consulting with young people in Wales and raising their awareness of importance and benefits of participation amongst young people across the country. She also worked with Cazbah and Markit on the development and piloting of UNCRC awareness raising workshops, working with stakeholders, pupils, practitioners throughout the country.

Siriol Burford

Siriol is the newly appointed Deputy Head teacher at the new federation school of Glyn Derw and Michaelston. She was previously the Senior Assistant Head teacher at Plasmawr Comprehensive, one of the most prolific Welsh comprehensives in Wales. She is a well respected pastoral leader amongst her peers. Siriol has worked extensively on Emotional Literacy within the school and the cluster primaries. Her work on both staff and pupil well being across Plasmawr is innovative and insightful. She is one of the organisers of the Promoting Respectful Relationships conference in Cardiff.

Matthew McAvoy

Matthew is one of those rare people who enjoys his profession to such a degree that he has taught both at comprehensive level and primary school level.  He made the transition to the primary sector a year back September and is thoroughly relishing the challenges of learning a new teaching and learning environment.  Matthew is currently a member of Senior Management at a Welsh primary school in Barry and is leading the Vale of Glamorgan on their new Literacy project 'Big Writing' and VCOP. He has produced numerous materials both in Welsh and English to accompany the scheme.  During his years in the comprehensive sector he enjoyed numerous management roles both within the pastoral and academic fields. Matthew's resources will be available online to purchase within the next few months.

Andy Henderson

Andy has been a Head teacher for 15 years and the Head teacher of Ysgol Hen Felin since 1997. He is an Estyn trained inspector and has recently returned from a two year secondment with the Welsh Assembly Government having worked on the School Effectiveness Framework with his specific remit being special education.

He is a member of a number of working groups within the Welsh Assembly Government including the steering group for Leadership programmes for all schools. He is a facilitator for the LPSH programme for serving Head teachers and has led a number of training events with Serco Cymru on behalf of the Hay Group. Andy is also a visiting lecturer for both the University of Wales Cardiff and Newport.  Andy is currently undertaking his PhD with University College London, focusing on School Self Evaluation Frameworks.

Andy Neal

Andy is a leading voice in Behaviour Management both within the UK and internationally. He is the Managing Director of Support Method International and heads a team of 4 Behaviour Management specialists who work on training and intervention projects for a wide range of private and public sector clients. Andy enjoys a superb reputation for designing and delivering insightful and highly effective training that promotes real change.

Rhys Howard Hughes

Rhys is the Head teacher of Ysgol Cae Top, Bangor Gwynedd but is currently enjoying a secondment to Gwynedd Local Education Authority. He worked on the School Effectiveness Framework. Rhys is a fluent welsh speaker and is a great asset to the company offering extensive knowledge of SEF and the new Common Inspection Framework, of which he is an Estyn inspector having received the updated training.