My name is Phil Holton, and I have worked in the education sector for my entire career. My infinite purpose in life is to help young people realise their creative potential through education. If you care about the creative opportunities for young people, we should connect.
Education
I am educated to Masters Level in Design Education, hold a Post Graduate degree in Secondary Design & Technology Education, and an honours degree in Industrial Design and Technology. I studied my A Level and GCSE qualifications abroad, and continue to invest in myself through professional development, training, and a slight obsession with collecting digital credentials. My LinkedIn profile can be found here
Work Experience
I am a Senior Strategy Manager for Pearson UK Schools. I am also a curriculum associate for Teach First, a delivery associate for the Small Peice Trust, a co-founder of Badgeable, an active consultant working within the education sector, and a subject tutor.
For 14 years I worked in a school setting, beginning as a classroom teacher, working up to a subject leader/head of department, before becoming an assistant head/director of curriculum. I left to make a bigger difference, and to enact change that no one was prioritising, at the detriment of students and teachers.
Never one to be “just” an educator, between 2009 and 2012 I worked with the subject association DATA as a member of the Innovation Group, a thought leadership team of outstanding subject practitioners. In 2012 I left and founded Teach Design with a close friend Steven Parkinson, which provided free at the point of demand professional development to teachers, alongside a lovely magazine that I was editor for.
Beyond the classroom
Workshop facilitator – I am an effective workshop facilitator and trainer for individuals and teams keen to develop their user centred approaches, systems thinking, or to support implementing sustainable priorities.
Thought leadership – design and creative education are two areas which I am currently prioritising my efforts. Whether contributing to roundtables, working groups, sitting on panel discussions or attending parliament to influence members of the houses, my aim is to shift our education priorities into more purposeful spaces.
Expertise
Sustainable, climate centric and regenerative principles for education.
Outstanding teacher training, mentoring and coaching
Design and Systems thinking
Effective research methodologies
Social Impact
Football coaching (personal passion)
Phil Holton 