Gary is a qualified teacher who, prior to leading on the skills agenda in the North East of Greater Manchester, led the Department for Education’s 14-19 Greater Manchester Challenge. He also worked in leadership positions in two inner-city high schools, latterly helping to lead a high school in the north of Greater Manchester from special measures to good in 18 months, with significantly improved achievement and attendance and a reduction in exclusions.

Gary has also worked for Rochdale Council with the remit of rapidly increasing the skills levels of the borough and reducing NEETs (young people Not in Employment, Education or Training). Gary has significant experience in working with underachieving schools, with a clear focus on rapid improvement.

Gary continues in his role as an experienced lead inspector of schools, and has spent the last 12 months working on various projects including school improvement work, specifically supporting leadership and management and the quality of teaching with primary, secondary and post-16 institutions. Gary recently supported Greater Manchester’s New Economy as interim Head of Partnerships, with a specific focus on the Employer Ownership of Skills (EOS) initiative.