About US
Our Team
Lou Evans
Director
I qualified as a Primary School teacher at St Luke’s, University of Exeter in 1995. Having always aspired to share my love of learning my first teaching post whisked me off to Gifu in central Japan were I had the pleasure of teaching across the age phases from Kindergarten through to High School. Since returning to the UK I have thoroughly enjoyed continuously learning from my roles in the classroom and my responsibilities as a university tutor and initial teacher training lead. Although I’ve being doing this a long time, I love my job and I enjoy learning new things everyday. It’s an honour to be able to support children and adults on their individual learning journeys.
Claire Collins
Training/Finance Co-ordinator
I have worked in the education for around 15 years within the classroom and in administration. I have also worked with a Teaching School Hub and supported teachers on their Early Careers Framework training journey. I have experience of working with Senior Leadership Teams within senior schools, organising emergency cover and gaining supply teachers. I have worked closely with students too, taking them through their A level choices and onboarding them to their subject courses. I am really looking forward to working with PGCE students as I have seen how essential it is to have highly skilled and confident teachers in allowing children to reach their full potential.
Ellie Crofts
Admin Assistant
I first found out about Castleman Learning Network when my partner trained with them, since then he’s already become part of the senior leadership team at his school. Seeing the support he had during his training year and our son starting school this year I wanted to be a part of getting brilliant teachers into our local schools. My role at CLN means that I am able to enjoy working alongside all our trainees and I’m looking forward to meeting and supporting our new cohorts.
Dedicated to supporting schools and teachers throughout Dorset to improve our children’s education.
Broadstone First School was designated a Teaching School in the first cohort in 2010 and formed the Poole Teaching School Alliance (Poole TSA). In September 2021 Poole TSA evolved into Castleman Learning Network. As part of our partnership, we work alongside a wide range of schools across Poole, Bournemouth and Dorset. As a network we work together to provide support and development opportunities for professionals across the teaching profession.
As a learning network, we support local schools and teachers by offering a range of professional development opportunities which enable teachers to reflect, share in research and develop their practice. Regardless of your experience, if you’re passionate about education we would love to talk to you.
The key areas the Castleman Learning Network work on include:
Providing high quality training and support to new entrants to the teaching profession: Foundation Degree, Initial Teacher Training, TA and Teacher Apprenticeships.
Supporting school based colleagues at all levels by providing training and leadership.
Providing professional development opportunities in a variety of subject areas, leadership development and educational initiatives.
Working in partnership with the Worcester University, providing support, training and assessment.
Another important area of our work is sharing the learning from all these opportunities so that as many as possible benefit from the thinking and learning happening in our network. For those schools who would like to engage the support of experts in the area of interest to them, we can point you in the direction of some highly talented and experienced practitioners whose role it is to provide capacity, ideas and support to school leaders and anyone else working with young people – including governors.
There are a wide, varied and hugely exciting range of professional development opportunities open to all, through the Castleman Learning Network. From those thinking about entering the profession to those who have been working with young people for a long time, you are certain to find something to interest, excite and spur you on to engage in your own learning journey.