John Britten - Chairman

John is a strategic manager with vision and management skills who has a record of success in complex organisations. While Director of the Bedford EAZ, he served as a board member of the DfES consultative committee for Education Action Zones, representing the interests of the eastern region. John is a gifted communicator and networker with a national reputation for leading education and training in the context of school improvement and economic development.

Over the past 2 years John has delivered employer engagement activity working with schools and colleges across Beds, Herts and Cambridgeshire. He has specifically focused on support for the specialised diplomas both working with schools and employer groups. He is currently supporting 3 collaboratives in preparation for diploma introduction 2008/09, in Herts and Bedfordshire.

To 2004 he was the Director of the Bedford Education Action Zone, a government funded project of 23 failing schools, with the task of raising their achievement.

In 1992 John joined the Greater Peterborough Training and Enterprise Council as Director of Education Services including responsibility for Education Business Links In 1999 he was seconded from his position as Director of Development at the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise to the East of England Development Agency to write the first regional ‘Skills Strategy’.

Other previous roles include a secondary deputy headship and a curriculum advisor for Cambridgeshire.

John has an advanced diploma in education, specialising in management studies from the Cambridge Institute of Education. He gained his Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Manchester University He is a trained facilitator for the Pacific Institute ‘Investment in Excellence’ Programme.