Names and faces

Sam Ellis
Regional Officer, Yorkshire and Humber

Sam started working full-time for ASCL in September. He says that his first impressions are of the wide range of issues that members face and the importance of the swift and relevant support and advice that ASCL provides in times of difficulty.

His teaching career was spent in three different schools in the East Riding in a variety of roles including head of physics, curriculum coordinator, deputy headteacher and acting headteacher.

For the last ten years he was the ASCL branch secretary for the East Riding of Yorkshire. In that role he became heavily involved in school funding issues and co-produced the LA funding model that was adopted by the f40 group of authorities.

Sam is married with two grown up daughters and enjoys being at home, cooking and reading. He has always been a keen guitarist working across a range of different styles and can currently be seen playing jazz guitar in local restaurants.

Lesley Cooper
Regional Officer, Eastern Region

Lesley began her career teaching science in inner London, and after two deputy headships in Southwark became a head in Cambridge for 12 years. This was followed by two years working for Cambridge Education implementing the teacher pay reforms.

She was lured back to a headship in Luton to help bring a school out of special measures. After four years she 'retired' and went to work for ASCL first as a field officer and now as a regional officer.

Lesley says that she enjoys the mixture of case work supporting members and the proactive work with branch secretaries and local authorities. She is vice chair of governors at her local primary school and is about to become show secretary for the Horticultural Society in the village. She and her husband love gardening and grow their own veg. She keeps fit by walking, swimming, going to the gym and practising Pilates.