Michelle Wisbey

Mont Dip, BA Hons, MA, PGCE, Montessorian of the Year 2016

Head of Education and Organisational Development

Michelle has over 25 years’ experience running her own Montessori nurseries and pre-schools, she and her team currently run five Montessori nurseries and pre-schools in Essex.

Michelle is the course leader of the MA Education with Montessori and BA (Hons) Montessori Early Childhood Studies, along with continued involvement in the delivery and assessment of the new Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies. Additionally, she supervises undergraduates with their final year major projects and provides support to students throughout their studies. She leads Montessori philosophy and practice and is responsible for developing, overseeing, and evolving sustainable training programmes & supporting early years career talent.

At Westwood Training and Consultancy Michelle leads a team of experienced lecturers and trainers, all of whom have studied with Montessori Centre International in London. With many years of experience, they provide both face to face and blended learning with full tutor support with learning taking place in a supportive, comfortable, and fully equipped environment. She has mentored and tutored students in Early Years education and has supported settings to achieve the best outcome possible in Ofsted inspections.The opportunity to work in settings with newly qualified Early Years teachers and leadership has led to the development of an interest in creating best practice models of practice both in the UK and in Malawi. She has achieved her Doctorate in Education, researching into the introduction of the Montessori Approach into early years centres in Malawi and with increasing interest in the Sustainable Development Goals and the importance of early years education to change lifetime outcomes for children, Michelle believes her research can inform change for early years education in developing countries.

Chris Barclay

Leadership and Management Development

Chris Barclay is the founder and CEO of Chris Barclay Leadership and Management. He has worked with clients in business, education and the charity sector both in the UK and in Africa to advise and develop individuals on how to improve their performance.

For 30 years Chris worked in the Metropolitan Police in Senior Leadership roles including two years as a Detective Chief Inspector investigating police officer misconduct and three years as a Chief Inspector developing partnership working. He was a Superintendent for six years working in Haringey and Tower Hamlets and finished his career with responsibility for security at Parliament.

As a senior leader in the Metropolitan Police he was trained extensively in leadership and management techniques applying what he had learned every day of his working life often at times of extreme pressure. On retiring from the Metropolitan Police he realised that there were thousands of managers who had never had the benefit of any training in the role of manager and leader. These people were well qualified, intelligent and diligent but were being held back as they often didn’t feel confident in dealing with management issues such as under performance, attendance, conflict and chairing an effective meeting.

He now provides bespoke Leadership and Management training, consultancy and mentoring to give those talented but untrained mangers the knowledge and confidence to be really effective and to get the best out of their staff.

He is married with two daughters in their 20’s and has lived in Great Dunmow, Essex for the past 23 years. As a family the Barclays have travelled extensively throughout the world particularly in South East Asia , India  and Sri Lanka. Chris and his wife were the International Directors of a charity based in Malawi, Africa in 2017/18 with responsibility for the health, education and nutrition of over 300 children and for developing the Malawian management team.

He is a big rugby and cricket fan but his playing days are now well behind him. He still battles with keeping fit and goes to the gym weekly as a necessary antidote to his love for cooking and of course, eating.

Joahnne Cousins

Lecturer

I am currently a lecturer in education at Anglia Ruskin University but originally from a nursing and private medical healthcare background, having spent the last 20 years solely working in the area related to child development and parent craft across a spectrum of roles in local authorities and private business, the latter of which was owning and running a preschool & nursery.

This breadth of experience has put me in a unique position to be able to deliver training with the widest possible view of my subject area. I have direct experience working with safeguarding, foster carers, child development, all areas of first aid, including mental health and parent craft with particular areas of interest in safeguarding and behaviour management.

Joanne Gaught

Lecturer

I have been a keen advocate of Montessori ever since as a parent of a young child, I witnessed the amazing way it allows children to flourish and grow on their own unique path. This was the start of my own journey from parent to practitioner and from manager to trainer. 

Becoming part of the Montessori community has enriched my knowledge of how we may play a small but vital part in a child’s journey to independence, enabling them to fulfil their potential of being citizens of the world. 

I thoroughly enjoy my role as hands-on practitioner manager, which enables me to relate comfortably to students as they start out on their own Montessori journey. I have three grown up children, various pets and a love of the countryside which sees me walking, running and in warmer weather wild-water swimming.