Prospectus · 2026
Research · Policy · Leadership · Coaching
"A growing community of hand-picked, highly experienced academics, policy-makers, leadership coaches and researchers, sharing a passion for the common good."
Who We Are
Koinonia Educational Ltd brings together a specially selected community of serving school leaders, current policy-makers, leading UK and international academics, and ICF-certified leadership coaches. We provide relevant, actionable insights from those living the daily challenges of the global education sector — grounded in current reality, not outdated models.
Our roots lie in the Koinonia Schools' Project, a ground-breaking collaboration of primary, secondary, and international schools, led by Director Simon Uttley and developed in research partnership with St Mary's University, Twickenham. Now in our tenth year, KoinEd Associate Scholars are active across the UK, USA, Poland, Ukraine, and beyond.
"We offer a space for peer-reviewed online publication, expert-led public speaking, bespoke research, and executive coaching — all grounded in the shared conviction that education is at the service of the common good."
Our mission is to gather the best speakers, practitioners, researchers, and coaches for the benefit of the broader education community. As a not-for-profit, we value collaboration, integrity, cultural responsiveness, and a passion for lifelong learning.
Insights from active leaders, not merely theorists — expertise born of living in schools.
Grounded in current, actionable research that translates into real institutional change.
Building partnerships across disciplines, nations, and sectors centred on shared values.
What We Offer
Koinonia Educational delivers tailored solutions for educational leaders, institutions, and policy-makers. Every engagement draws on the lived expertise of our network of current practitioners, scholars, and coaches.
Inspiring keynotes, workshops, and seminars from active leaders sharing proven, practical strategies. Our speakers bring the authority of current headship, professorial research, and policy-making combined. We are proud co-convenors of the Slovak Educational Leadership Conference.
Confidential, one-to-one coaching for senior leaders, delivered by experienced and ICF-qualified peers. Our coaching is rooted in real school leadership and the latest behavioural science, including AI-augmented coaching methodologies. Explore: sru-executivecoaching.com
Custom research solutions from practitioners and academics that deliver actionable, institution-specific insights. Whether action research, policy review, or ethnographic study, our associates design and deliver with rigour and relevance.
Curated, high-quality educational resources and expert guidance to support teaching, learning, and policy — including peer-reviewed online publication through the Koinonia Educational Press.
In partnership with Thoughtful (formerly Sapere), we support the implementation of philosophical enquiry in schools — building critical thinking, oracy, and epistemic resilience among young people.
From the Shepherding Talent programme for aspiring Catholic school leaders to bespoke INSET provision, our experts design and deliver professional development that genuinely transforms practice.
"Whether you need a conference speaker, bespoke research, staff training, academic editing or help with a publication — come speak to us."
Our People
Simon Uttley is the founder and Director of Koinonia Educational Ltd. A secondary school Principal of more than 21 years' standing, he holds professorships at the University of Notre Dame (USA), London, and is a Visiting Research Professor at St Mary's University, Twickenham. Simon is also Executive Co-Chair of the Slovak Educational Leadership Conference, a CSI School Inspector, and a global Ambassador for Thoughtful. His expertise spans conference speaking, leadership training, professional coaching, philosophy of education, and Catholic Social Teaching. He is fluent in English, French, and Italian and has published widely through the KoinEd platform.
Contact: simon@koinonia-educational.com
In a recent milestone for KoinEd, Sadie Blyth has been appointed Headteacher at St Joan of Arc School. A CSI-licensed inspector, designated safeguarding lead, and designated teacher for Looked After Children, Sadie brings deep expertise in strategic school data analysis, disadvantaged and vulnerable pupil provision, mental health awareness, and teacher wellbeing. Her interests extend to comparative international education, including perspectives drawn from the Finnish model, and to the performing arts. She exemplifies the practitioner-scholar profile at the heart of the KoinEd community.
Contact: sadie.blyth76@gmail.com
Our People
With a career spanning school science teaching, mountaineering instruction, and academic leadership, Dr Kevin Flint brings genuinely distinctive philosophical perspectives to educational research. Promoted to Reader in Education at Nottingham Trent University (2013), he led the professional doctorate programme there, established international research networks with Middlesex University and St Mary's University, London, and served as Chief External Examiner for the EdD at the University of Exeter. Author of Rethinking Practice, Research and Education (Bloomsbury, 2015) and co-author of Rethinking the Education Improvement Agenda (Continuum, 2012), his scholarship draws on Heideggerian and Derridean philosophy to challenge prevailing assumptions in educational research and improvement agendas.
Contact: Kevinjflint053@gmail.com
A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy with degrees from the Universities of Wales, Massachusetts, and Brunel, Dr Healy has held higher education roles for over 30 years across the UK, United States, and Ireland. Since 2015 she has served as General Secretary of the Catholic Association of Teachers, Schools and Colleges for England & Wales, and in 2022 was elected to the Executive of the World Union of Catholic Teachers — the only international lay teacher body with consultative status at UNESCO. Awarded the prestigious International Marist Brothers Medal in 2023, Caroline's research focuses on Catholic school formation, identity, and the politics of education. She is an Executive Editor of International Studies in Catholic Education and a doctoral supervisor welcoming postgraduate researchers across a wide range of education themes.
Contact: caroline.healy@stmarys.ac.uk
Our People
A senior international education professional with the University of Notre Dame since 2007, Judy Hutchinson served as Director of Student Affairs for Notre Dame's London Programme (2013–2018), where she built a comprehensive internship and experiential learning infrastructure that became central to the programme's global standing. Her expertise bridges institutional mission, Catholic identity, and the formative dimensions of international education. A doctoral researcher examining how mission informs internationalisation strategy in Catholic higher education, Judy brings a rare combination of sustained practitioner experience and scholarly rigour to the KoinEd community.
Contact: jhutchinson@nd.edu
Holder of a PhD from the University of Surrey and a distinguished career spanning assistant headship, senior lecturing, and full professorship, John Lydon is a globally recognised authority on Catholic education. He is a Professor of Education at both St Mary's University, London, and the University of Notre Dame, and a Visiting Professor at the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomás in the Philippines. A prolific author published by Springer and Taylor & Francis, organiser of major international colloquia, and a leader of the Vatican's Forum for Catholic-Inspired NGOs, Professor Lydon's work addresses the spiritual, theological, and ethical foundations of Catholic schooling. He is Executive Editor of the International Studies in Catholic Education journal.
Contact: john.lydon@stmarys.ac.uk
Our People
KoinEd's newest Distinguished Associate Scholar, Panos Malakoudis, brings 25 years of leadership experience and a truly global perspective. At Microsoft, he led the coaching strategy for over 75,000 employees and pioneered a Guinness World Record AI-augmented coaching initiative yielding $76M in value and a 670% ROI. An ICF UK Board Director and AI Coaching Coalition advisor, Panos specialises at the intersection of AI and behavioural transformation. He is a Forbes contributor and Corporate Research Forum author. His work shifts mindsets from technical AI use to augmented human judgment — an increasingly vital capability for educational leaders navigating rapid change.
Contact: Panos.malakoudis@citiumsolutions.co.uk
With 32 years in secondary education, 25 in senior leadership, and 15 in headship, Dr Louise McGowan EdD (BMus Hons; PGCE; MA; FRSA) is one of the most experienced Catholic school leaders in the country. A researcher, writer, and keynote conference speaker, she holds programme lead responsibilities for theological leadership in a Catholic Multi Academy Trust and is affiliated with Canterbury Christ Church University. Her autoethnographic scholarship — published by Springer and Routledge — offers intimate, first-person perspectives on faith, leadership, social justice, and post-pandemic headship. She has delivered keynotes at Oxford, St Mary's Twickenham, and internationally at the NfRCE and GRACE Colloquia.
Contact: lmcgowan@stclaudines.co.uk
Our People
A qualified ethicist with an international profile, Dr Ann Marie Mealey works at the intersection of ethics, values, faith, and civic life. She designed the first institutional mission strategy for a faith-based university in the UK and has had her research included in official communiqués for the Values 20 group, which shapes G20 policy. A prolific author of monographs, edited volumes, and public commentary — including regular contributions to Yorkshire Bylines and her internationally recognised podcast Beyond the Dark Clouds — Ann Marie is currently developing a major work on the significance of ethics, mission, and values in education. She is also part of the national group designing the mission directory for over 2,000 Catholic schools in the UK.
Contact: annmmealey@rcaos.org.uk
Dr Paul Rowan is a theologian, author, and broadcaster. He served on the Catholic Education Service's team developing the new RS GCSE/A Level for England and Wales (2014–2017), contributed to multiple Redemptorist Publications and Oxford University Press GCSE texts, and has published extensively on G.K. Chesterton, Catholic apologetics, and the theology of literature. A member of the Board of Religious Studies of the Catholic Bishops' Conference and the Catholic Theological Association of Great Britain, he is a regular contributor to BBC Radio Jersey and has delivered papers across Europe and North America. His edited volume Training the Body: Perspectives from Religion, Physical Culture and Sport (Routledge, 2022) bridges theology and embodiment in a distinctive way.
dr.paul.rowan@outlook.com
Our People
Emma Swinn was awarded an MBE for services to innovation in the 2020 New Year Honours and named among the top 100 Women in Social Enterprise in 2017 and 2020. As co-founder of The Philosophy Foundation and now Director of the national charity Thoughtful, she has built one of the UK's most distinctive educational organisations — taking it into the SE100 Index of top social enterprises. Emma is President of SOPHIA (European Foundation for the Advancement of Philosophy with Children), an Advisory Board member at the LSE's Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science, and a keynote speaker at international conferences from Bologna to the RSA. Her scholarly work, published in Think and Routledge volumes, explores philosophy's practical impact on cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Contact: emmaswinn@sapere.org.uk
Director's Blog & Resources
The Koinonia Educational Press and Director's Blog offer a space for peer-reviewed reflection, policy analysis, and practitioner scholarship. Below is a review of the most recently published articles from our network.
May 2026 · Director's Blog · Simon Uttley
A major scholarly article exploring the challenge — and the imperative — of teaching truth as a philosophical concept in schools. Ranging across the history of philosophy from Plato and Aristotle through Descartes, Dewey, and Tarski to contemporary analytic and pluralist theories, the piece proposes a suite of evidence-based pedagogical strategies: Socratic questioning, thought experiments, case-based reasoning, collaborative argumentation, and cross-curricular integration. Uttley argues that cultivating epistemically autonomous, truth-seeking citizens — equipped to resist misinformation and navigate a post-truth world — is among the most vital democratic responsibilities of contemporary schooling.
February 2026 · Director's Blog · Simon Uttley
An authoritative and detailed analysis of the Government's landmark Education White Paper (DfE, February 2026), presented by the Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP. Uttley provides a comprehensive phase-by-phase summary — covering SEND reform, curriculum and assessment change, the new enrichment entitlement, workforce strategy, and the move to universal school trust membership — before posing searching unanswered questions about funding, workforce capacity, implementation sequencing, and equity.
Director's Blog & Resources
February 2026 · Director's Blog · Simon Uttley
Drawing on Aristotelian virtue ethics, this article argues that holistic character education is not an enrichment of schooling but its very foundation — particularly for pupils with Special Educational Needs. Uttley reviews the theoretical basis of character education in SEN contexts, proposes practical strategies including peer mentoring, restorative approaches, and personalised character targets within EHCPs, and highlights the approach's power to counter marginalisation, build agency, and affirm every child's capacity for moral growth.
May 2026 · Director's Blog · Simon Uttley
Koinonia Educational is delighted to celebrate the appointment of Distinguished Associate Scholar Sadie Blyth as Headteacher of St Joan of Arc Catholic School in Rickmansworth, taking up the post from September 2026. A highly experienced leader with deep expertise in safeguarding, disadvantaged pupil provision, and Catholic school inspection, Sadie brings principled and accomplished leadership to this outstanding school. Her appointment is a proud moment for the KoinEd community and a testament to the calibre of practitioners within our network.
All articles and resources are available at koinonia-educational.com · Additional peer-reviewed pieces are available via the Koinonia Educational Press.
Koinonia Educational Press
The Koinonia Educational Press is a peer-reviewed open-access e-journal publishing scholarly and practitioner articles at the intersection of educational research, leadership, policy, faith, and the common good. We welcome contributions from academics, serving school and system leaders, policy-makers, and researchers at all career stages whose work reflects rigour, relevance, and a commitment to educational excellence.
All submissions undergo a double-blind peer review process conducted by members of our international network of Associate Scholars and academic partners. The editorial board is committed to constructive, timely feedback and to supporting authors through the review process.
Concise, focused contributions offering a practitioner perspective, a research summary, a policy commentary, or a reflective case study. Ideal for serving leaders, emerging researchers, or those introducing a new idea or debate to the field.
Format: Abstract (150 words max) · Main text · Up to 15 references · Up to 1 table or figure · Author biography (75 words)
Substantive scholarly or practitioner articles presenting original research, theoretical analysis, literature reviews, or in-depth policy critique. Empirical, conceptual, and methodological contributions are all welcomed.
Format: Abstract (200 words max) · Keywords (4–6) · Subheadings · Conclusion · APA 7th references · Up to 3 figures · Author biography (100 words)
Submit Your Manuscript
Send your manuscript and cover sheet to the Editorial Team
press@koinonia-educational.com
koinonia-educational.com
Join the Community
Koinonia Educational Associate Scholars are a carefully curated community of outstanding individuals whose work advances the frontiers of educational research, policy, leadership, and practice. Membership is by invitation and selection, not application alone — and it carries with it the full weight of the KoinEd name, network, and publishing platform.
Associate Scholars are selected on the basis of demonstrated excellence across one or more of the following areas:
KoinEd Associate Scholars benefit from a global peer network, publication opportunities through the Koinonia Educational Press, a platform for keynotes and CPD delivery, and collaborative research partnerships across the UK, USA, Europe, and beyond. We are especially committed to building a diverse, international community of scholars who reflect the breadth and richness of global educational experience.
Express Your Interest AssociateScholar@koinonia-educational.comGet In Touch
Whether you are looking for a conference speaker, INSET provider, bespoke leadership consultancy, policy guidance, executive coaching, or access to our peer-reviewed resources — we are here to support you.
✉ admin@koinonia-educational.com
📍 Room 360, 60 Tottenham Court Road
London, W1T 2EW
