Andy Buck

Speaker Summary

Andy Buck is a former National Leader of Education in the UK and an acclaimed author. His first-class leadership expertise is drawn from his nationally renowned career as a headteacher at two schools in east London. Previously the Managing Director of one of largest academy groups in the UK, Andy was also directly responsible for setting up the British government’s flagship Teaching Schools programme in 2009. He is the Founder of Leadership Matters and the Creator of the BASIC Coaching Method. He has trained over 30,000 leaders around the world.

Areas of Expertise

Coaching – Leadership and Management

Full Profile

Author, speaker, former headteacher and director at National College, now the CEO of Leadership Matters creator of the BASIC coaching model and founder of The StARTed Foundation and Cadogan Press. He is also chair of trustees at the L.E.A.D Academy Trust.

A geography teacher by trade, Andy went on to become a headteacher for thirteen years at two schools in east London. In the last year of headship, his school was judged outstanding in all categories and Andy was designated a National Leader of Education. In 2009 he become a Director at the National College for School Leadership, leading on the London Challenge programme. He was subsequently responsible for setting up the government’s flagship Teaching Schools programme before being appointed as Managing Director at United Learning, one of the country’s largest academy groups.

Since 2014, Andy has founded Leadership Matters which aims to improve the educational outcomes for pupils by supporting great leadership development. Leadership Matters is a web-based membership organisation that offers school leaders access to high quality online development tools and other leadership articles, videos and blogs.

Andy was invited to become a Fellow of the RSA in 2015 and was made a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching in 2018. He is also Honorary Vice President at the Geographical Association and Honorary Education Adviser to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

In 2019, Andy established The StARTed Foundation which supports young talent in the performing arts. More recently he has set up a small independent publishing company, Cadogan Press.

Former board membership has included the Teacher Training Agency, the National College for School Leadership, Partnerships for Schools, the Teacher Development Trust and the Teaching Awards. He was also the Chair of the Education Committee of the education charity, Ambition School Leadership, which was formed from the merger of Future Leaders and Teaching Leaders.

Andy has written seven leadership and coaching books:

• Making School Work – 2007
• What Makes a Great School? – 2009 (now in its third edition and eighth reprint)
• What Makes a Great Middle Leader? A Handbook for Middle Leaders – 2014
• What Makes a Great Middle Leadership Team? A Handbook for Senior Leaders – 2015
• Leadership Matters – 2016 (now in its third edition)
• Honk! When teams come together, organisations fly – 2019
• BASIC Coaching: An Introduction to the BASIC Coaching Model – 2020

Publications
  • BASIC Coaching: An Introduction to the BASIC Coaching Model – 2020
  • Honk! When teams come together, organisations fly – 2019
  • Leadership Matters – 2016 (now in its third edition)

Sessions Featuring Andy Buck: