Skip to main content

About us

Bedford Traded Services launched in April 2019. Bedford Borough education providers from all phases have purchased our school improvement package. Three more schools have joined since we began and we are now proud to work with 54 schools and settings.

We are held to account by the Bedford Traded Services Governance Group. Our key performance indicators are:

  • Nationally published performance data and Ofsted judgements.
  • Headteachers, principals, governors and trustees’ views of our service.
  • Our financial performance, including our revenue trend.

We are proud to be a fully committed partner of every one of our schools.

Aims

Bedford Traded Services will:

  • Have excellent and sustained impact on school effectiveness and outcomes for learners.
  • Use revenue from schools efficiently, effectively and fairly.
  • Work collaboratively with our partners and stakeholders to achieve our aims.
  • Be fully held to account by the Bedford Traded Services Governance Group.
  • Be a key driver in realising Bedford Borough Council's aims, especially school improvement strategy priorities.

The Team

The administrative team is run by:

Monday-Wednesday: Rebecca Olney-Ogden 01234 276792 rebecca.olney-ogden@bedford.gov.uk

Gabby Moss 01234 276711 Gabby.Moss@bedford.gov.uk



Click on a name for further information about the education team.

Judith Lovely, School Improvement Manager

Judith is the School Improvement Manager. She has over 30 years’ experience in education and has held senior leadership roles in primary and secondary schools (including headship) and in three Local Authorities. Her areas of expertise include quality of education, leadership and management, coaching, arts and culture, assessment for learning, behaviour and attitudes, and personal development. Through her work as an improvement advisor, Judith supports primary schools.

Devinder Riat, school improvement advisor

Devinder has held several headships, including leading a school providing both primary and secondary education. Currently he is an executive headteacher and director of school improvement for a multi academy trust. He is an Ofsted inspector, a British schools overseas inspector, and an accredited Level 3 safeguarding trainer. Devinder holds the National Professional Qualification for Headship and a masters degree in education management. His areas of expertise include, leadership and management, quality of education, performance coaching. safeguarding, and all primary school subjects. Devinder supports primary schools.

Neil McDonough, school improvement advisor

Neil has held headships in both primary and secondary schools. For the past few years he has worked as an interim headteacher, mainly in primary schools. In addition to his work in Bedford, he works as an education consultant. He has worked as a local authority school improvement partner and as an advisor for the Anglican Schools’ Partnership. He is a foundation governor at a London secondary academy. Neil holds the National Professional Qualification for Headship and a masters degree in education. His areas of expertise include quality of education, leadership and management, safeguarding, behaviour management, and teacher and leadership coaching and development. Neil supports primary schools.

Ian Lindsay, education advisor in the school improvement team

Ian specialises in supporting schools in all phases to improve behaviour and attitudes. He is also the Borough Lead for the induction of Newly Qualified Teachers. Ian has a masters degree in education and was previously a secondary school teacher for over 27 years, reaching the position of assistant headteacher at a local secondary school.

Nicola Millard, advisor for teaching and learning for EYFS

Previously Nicola has been a nursery teacher and reception teacher in inner and outer London. More locally, Nicola was a children’s centre teacher, before taking up the advisory role for Bedford Borough in 2012. She is the moderation lead for EYFS and is trained in both ECERS and ITERS. Nicola has a BA Hons degree specialising in Early Years and Primary education. She is also a qualified nursery nurse. Her areas of expertise include quality early years education, learning through play, EYFS data analysis and curriculum planning. Nicola supports preschools, day nurseries, primary and nursery schools.

Sharon Waterman, school improvement advisor

Sharon has over 28 years in education working in senior leader and executive positions in schools in Northampton, Kent and London including Education Director for Leigh Academies Trust a Multi Academy Trust of 28 primary, secondary and special school. Sharon was  Principal at The Leigh Academy, one of the strongest non-selective secondary academies in Kent and the founding academy of the Leigh Academies Trust. Sharon is a governor in a primary school and her strengths and areas of expertise are in leadership, coaching, strategic planning, developing high performing teams, curriculum design, teaching and learning and assessment.

Simon Webb, school improvement adviser

Simon has been one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors for primary, secondary and special schools in the East of England and is currently an external expert for the DfE on their free schools team. He also has his enhanced SEND training with Ofsted. As such, he is highly trained in the accurate evaluation of schools against the Ofsted framework and is experienced in guiding school leaders to achieve high standards.

Simon can combine his role as HMI with headteacher of an international all-through school and 15 years of senior management experience in state schools, an MBA in Educational Management and NPQH.  He is also an experienced initial teacher trainer for a SCITT and a skilled trainer for governors, school leaders and wider school staff.

His areas of expertise include: all aspects of raising achievement, pupil premium strategy, governor reviews, safeguarding, improving teaching and learning and assessment and pupil tracking data systems. This can be combined with extensive curriculum experience including International Baccalaureate, vocational qualifications, the national curriculum and GCSE.

Giles Osborne, school improvement adviser

Giles Osborne is currently an Improvement Partner with an East Midlands trust, Leciecester City and Lewisham. He has moved from his role as the Training Director for Analyse School Performance Consultancy and led the training for schools on understanding the DfE and Ofsted's data where he advised schools and multi-academy trusts. Giles teaches on the National qualification for Headteachers .

An ex-Executive head, deputy and AST, he has worked in a range of Good and Outstanding schools, the co-creator of the TEAM report (a bespoke format focusing on the achievement of SEND students).  An experienced governor, currently on the board of 2 schools, Giles combines this with his work supporting trusts and schools focusing on the data and outcomes of the pupils. His track record is impressive, demonstrating sustainable impact for a variety of academic institutions. Formerly an advisor to Kent LA an a Senior University Lecturer

Clare Claxton, school improvement adviser

 Clare started her professional life as an education officer in the RAF before moving to become one of the founding members of a leading national charity, the Youth Sport Trust where she remained for almost a decade. She then joined the teaching profession, eventually assuming headship of both secondary and primary schools. Latterly she was appointed as executive headteacher of 2 primary schools in Bedford Borough. Alongside headship, she has worked for the central team of Brooke Weston Trust in Northamptonshire as its Recruitment Director. Earlier this year she completed the NPQEL qualification with a focus on system leadership. Her areas of expertise are in leadership, improving teaching and learning, developing teams and recruitment.