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Alison Margaret Peacock (born 17 October 1959) is an Associate Director of the Cambridge Primary Review, Head of The Wroxham School and a National Leader of Education.

Early Life and Education
Was born in London to parents Leslie and Patricia Mann and educated at Oakthorpe and Hunsdon Primary schools. She then studied at Hadham Hall School, Little Hadham, Hertfordshire.

Having obtained a University of London BA degree in English & Drama in 1981 she attended the University of Warwick where she gained a PGCE in primary education in 1982.

In 1996 she was awarded a MEd from Queens' College, University of Cambridge.

Teaching Career
She started her teaching career in Secondary schools then worked in Hertfordshire Teachers’ Centres before moving into Primary school education where she remains today.

Her first teaching post was at Passmores Comprehensive (now Passmores Academy), Harlow, Essex in 1992, which some years later featured in a fly-on-the-wall documentary Educating Essex for Channel 4.

She then taught in one other Secondary school, two Teachers’ Centres and three Primary Schools before her current appointment.

In 2003 she was appointed headteacher of The Wroxham School, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, a single form primary school, 4-11 years. When appointed as headteacher the school was in ‘special measures’. The school emerged from ‘special measures’ ten months later and within two and a half years was rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. Subsequently, when re-inspected in 2009 it was judged to be ‘outstanding’ in all categories. The school was in the first cohort to be included in the Department for Education’s Teaching School initiative, in 2011, and currently provides a wide programme of continual professional development for teachers and school leaders. In 2012, The Wroxham Foundation was established. The school has generated international interest in its inclusive, creative approach to school improvement and has hosted delegations from the USA, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Zambia, Gambia, France, Denmark and Sweden.

Other Educational Roles and Memberships
In addition to school leadership she provides advice and consultancy to a range of educational organisations. These organisations both current and past include: the Teaching Schools Council, Teacher Development Trust, Challenge Partners, Local Authorities, Headteacher groups, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, Cambridge Assessment Colloquium, Hertfordshire Development Trust and Teach First.

In 2009, she joined the staff of the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge part time as a member of the Cambridge Primary Review team working closely with Professor Robin Alexander. She established a national network to disseminate the outcomes of the final report and to empower teachers towards excellence. In 2012 her role changed to that of Associate Director.

She is a regular guest lecturer and keynote speaker for a range of organisations including: University of Cambridge, Institute of Education, University of Nottingham, University of Canterbury, University of Hertfordshire, University of Newcastle, Bishop’s Grosseteste College, NAHT, NUT, Association of Science Education, National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics, Association of Language Advisers, National Literacy Trust, Early Excellence, Westminster Education Forum and Inside Government, The London Festival of Education.

In 2012 she was a panellist on the BBC Radio 4 programme series ‘Education Debates’

Educational Research
She has been involved in a number of educational research projects from 1985 to date.

Whist at Wreake Valley Community College, Leicester, in 1985 she participated in the ORACLE study led by Professor Maurice Galton, University of Leicester.

In 1996 her Masters degree thesis ‘Situational integration is not enough’ explored inclusion in primary classrooms through a case study approach.

From 1999 to 2001 the ESRC funded a project on Pupil Voice in which she led school based research together with Dr Sara Bragg and Professor Michael Fielding, University of Sussex.

From 2001 to 2003 she was one of nine teachers whose classroom practice and pedagogical approach was studied by a team of University of Cambridge researchers led by Professor Donald McIntyre. This research was subsequently published as the internationally acclaimed book Learning without Limits in 2004.

From 2006 to 2009 The Wroxham School formed the basis of research into teaching without labelling by ability. As co-researcher she published the findings with, Susan Hart, Mary Jane Drummond and Mandy Swann in Creating Learning without Limits in 2012. This work is being translated by Josai University, into Japanese.

She is currently researching system leadership within teaching school alliances to enable school improvement in partnership with the National College and ISOS. This work is expected to be published in 2014.

Publications
In addition to her book, Creating Learning without Limits she has written several contributions to other books and numerous articles, these publications include:


 * Circles of Influence, Sanders,E (Ed) (2012); Moving beyond “What’s in it for me?”
 * Developing outward facing schools where citizenship is a lived experience, The Gordon Cook Foundation (2012)
 * Beyond assessment levels: Reaching for new heights in primary education, NUT (2011)
 * The Cambridge Primary Review: a voice for the future, FORUM (2010)
 * Exploring the art of the possible, an irresistible invitation to all learners, NASEN (2009)
 * If you go down to the woods today, FORUM (2007)
 * Escaping from the bottom set. Finding a voice for school improvement, School Improvement Journal (2006)
 * Raising standards. What do we really want?, FORUM (2005)
 * Listening to Children FORUM (2001)
 * Working as a team. Children and Teachers at Wheatcroft Primary School Learning from Each other, FORUM (2001).

Personal Details
Born 17 October 1959 in London, married in 6 August 1983, has two daughters and lives in Hertford, Hertfordshire.