2027
Teacher Event

Bernardette Holmes MBE, who was conferred Honorary Professor at IOE in February 2023, has made major contributions to languages education in England through her work as a modern languages advocate, teacher, adviser, inspector, teacher trainer, researcher, curriculum and policy developer and author.

She is an alumna of UCL (French with Classical and Medieval Latin) and IOE (PGCE in French and German with subsidiary studies in Sociology and Performing Arts), then known as the Institute of Education, University of London. She is Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Linguistics, Director of Speak to the Future, and consultant to the DfE for the development of the GCSE in British Sign Language.

Antonio Dias is a Strategy Executive at City Football Group (CFG), where he works on corporate strategy initiatives supporting the organisation's global football operations.

He holds a Master of Science in Management with a specialisation in Strategy from Católica Lisbon School of Businesses and Economics, following an International Undergraduate Program in Management at the same institution and an exchange programme at Strathclyde Business School.

Antonio brings experience from international strategy consulting and finance, having worked at EY-Parthenon across Lisbon and Düsseldorf in corporate strategy roles. There, he contributed to strategic planning, business planning, internationalisation strategies, and commercial due diligences across sectors including football, TMT, sports analytics, energy, and life sciences. His work has focused on market analysis, growth strategy and data-driven decision-making in complex, multi-market environments.

Earlier in his career, Antonio gained experience in sports business, corporate finance and retail operations through roles at Associação Académica de Coimbra - OAF, TAP Air Portugal and Jerónimo Martins. These positions included developing commercial strategy in professional football, supporting financial risk operations with international banks, and contributing to planning and control functions within large-scale retail operations.

Fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish, and with experience living and working in multiple European countries, Antonio is recognised for his international outlook and strategic approach to the business of sport.

Michelle Massey is Head of German at The Blue Coat School, where she leads a team of German specialists and teachers German to A Level, as well as French at Key Stage 3.

She holds a BSc (Hons) in International Business Studies and German, and has over twenty years of experience in language teaching. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to professional development, completing the Excellence in Teaching Programme and delivering whole-school training sessions on coaching and pedagogy.

Michelle has been a specialist teacher for the NCLE Language Hub programme, supporting nine partner schools with the development of their language provision through school visits, mentoring, and the organisation of collaborative events. She also co-leads the regional MFL Practitioner Network, helping to foster collaboration and the sharing of best practice among language teachers across the region.

She is currently contributing to the Language Network National Priority Project through her work on Language Fest North West, a regional initiative celebrating and promoting languages education across the North West.

Michelle also has extensive experience mentoring Early Career Teachers and trainees, and contributes to national examination standards through her work as an AQA examiner for the GCSE written paper.

Catherine Woodward is the Assistant Headteacher and Trust Leadership Community Lead in modern Foreign Languages (MFL) for the Cranmer Education Trust.

She holds a Joint Master's degree in French and German and teaches both subjects to A Level, as well as Spanish at Key Stage 3. With over twenty years of teaching experience, Catherine has led German departments in three different schools and was appointed Head of MFL at The Brian Clarke Academy, a new school established in 2022.

As part of her wider contribution to languages education, Catherine has been a specialist teacher for the NCLE Language Hub programme, supporting nine partner schools with the development of their language provision through school visits, mentoring, and the organisation of collaborative events. She now works on Sing to Speak, a Language Network National Priority Project, which aims to promote the joy of language learning through music and creativity.

In her role at the Cranmer Education Trust, Catherine supports all schools within the trust family in delivering high-quality language education. As a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE), she co-leads the regional MFL Practitioner Network and leads primary and secondary subject knowledge training for the SCITT.

Catherine is also trained in Fresh Start Phonics and is recognised for her expertise in curriculum development, teacher training, and fostering excellence in language education across the region.

Tom Coltman is Trust Director of Languages for the Laurus Trust and NCLE Network Lead and Specialist Teacher, overseeing the development of language education across the trust and beyond.

He graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 before completing his PGCE in Modern Languages at the University of Manchester in 2008. Since then, he has taught Spanish to A Level, as well as French and German at Key Stage 3.

Tom joined Cheadle Hulme High School in 2014 as Head of Spanish before progressing to Head of Languages. Following the formation of the Laurus Trust, he was appointed Trust Director of Languages in 2019, leading language departments across the trust's secondary schools and driving excellence in teaching and learning.

As a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) in Languages, Tom also works with schools across Greater Manchester, providing professional support and sharing best practice. He currently leads the Etherow Language Network, working with a wider group of schools to strengthen collaboration and promote language learning as part of the NCLE programme. The network's National Priority Project, Innovate to Motivate - Developing the Languages Curriculum, brings teachers, researches and learners together to enhance the integration of cultural content into the curriculum. The project takes a flexible and collaborative approach, supporting schools to make small-scale, but meaningful improvements that encourage reflection on sequencing and the inclusion of rich, motivating cultural knowledge within language learning.

Sophie West is Head of French at Keswick School Multi-Academy Trust, where she teachers French to A Level and German to GCSE.

She graduated from the University of Bristol in 2013 with a BA (Hons) in French and Philosophy, followed by an MRes in Arts, Modern Languages and Cultures from the University of Glasgow in 2014, specialising in European History. Sophia completed her PGCSE in 2015 before joining Keswick School as a teacher of French and German, and was appointed Head of French in 2019.

Sophia has extensive experience in initial teacher training and currently designs and delivers all MFL content for One Cumbria, supporting both primary and secondary trainee teachers.

She is also the Network Lead for The Lakes Language Network through the NCLE programme, where she works to connect and support MFL colleagues across the North West, with a particular focus on schools in rural Cumbria. Alongside developing bespoke primary French resources tailored for small schools, Sophia is leading a National Priority Project entitled: Talking Classrooms - Stepping Away from the Textbook, which supports teachers in developing pupil-to-pupil target language interaction and embedding meaningful communication within classroom practice.