Our Team

Nicola Powell is a primary consultant with 15 years of practical experience supporting schools. She offers schools tailor-made support in developing an innovative curriculum and has a proven track record in helping teachers to engage every child in a learning journey which both raises standards of attainment and enhances each child’s awareness of good citizenship and how to contribute positively to society.

Nicola’s mission is to raise academic standards and character virtues in every child so that all can flourish. She seeks to bring vibrant, contemporary and irresistible teaching and learning to teachers and children everywhere, through fresh, original and relational approaches.

Nicola has taught every year group from Reception to Year 6 and was Head of Lower School and Deputy Head in a large Primary. She has led school development within all the schools in which she has taught.

For 10 years Nicola worked as part of the English Advisory Team for West Sussex County Council developing inspiring, active, effective approaches to teaching listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Since establishing Primary Matters Consultancy in 2004, Nicola has worked with both state and private schools across the UK, from Edinburgh to Brighton, Cardiff to Peterborough, Truro to Canterbury, enabling all schools to enhance the teaching and learning experience they offer. Children are drawn irresistibly into their learning and teachers are rejuvenated!

In this time Nicola has enabled headteachers to transform their school environment and curriculum, moving schools which require improvement to an Ofsted judgment of Good, and supporting good schools to achieve a rating of Outstanding.

Nicola has led conferences across the country and worked on national projects with inspiring leaders in education such as Mick Waters.

She gained her degree in English and Education from Homerton College, Cambridge.

Alex has been teaching since 1992, achieved the NPQH in 2005, and has taught every year group from Nursery to Year 7. Until July 2021, he was head of a very large primary school in West Sussex and continues to maintain his love of teaching in the primary classroom alongside his current leadership and learning consultancy work. He also works in higher education, training the next generation of teachers through the University of Sussex. 

Alex is an outstanding school leader with expert knowledge and skills in computing, high-quality teaching and in assessment. He has had significant impact on school improvement through his work in schools, for example moving them from 'requires improvement' to 'good' in short timescales. He relishes outreach work and has a talent for providing high-quality CPD. He has been an associate advisor for West Sussex and a Specialist Leader in Education for a large academy chain.

Alex is very analytical and provides a significant impact in school improvement planning, OFSTED preparation and prioritising at whole school strategic level. He has a deep understanding of the primary curriculum, having led a wide variety of areas in his career, from mathematics to DT. His BEd (hons) degree had a science specialism, which is one of his curriculum 'loves', and he is a musician, photographer and video/audio editor.

Maureen joined the Primary Matters team in 2010 and is passionate about developing creativity, curiosity and independence in children through art and design work.

The impact of her expertise and teaching methods has been outstanding in every school she has worked with. The skills of art and design positively impact subjects across the curriculum, as children learn to be curious, to take risks and to be confident in expressing their own ideas.

Maureen has had a 30 year career in art and design education, teaching from Reception age children to adults in both the U.K. and New Zealand.

Ashley has been involved in education since 1994. He has a passion for history and believes that role play and model making makes learning immediate, memorable and real.

Ashley has a particular interest in ancient history and has been involved in re-enactments for a number of years. He is a member of the Hoplite and Roman Military Research Society.