Growing Together Meet Our New NPQ Lead - Jemma Naish-Williams

In this blog series, we shine a spotlight on the NPQ courses we have on offer in partnership with Teach First, including showcasing some of our fantastic programme members and leaders.

Today, we’re delighted to introduce Jemma Naish-Williams, who has recently joined as our Trust Lead for Professional Development (NPQ Lead).

Why did you want to take on this role?

I believe deeply in the power of professional learning to change lives, for teachers and for pupils. NPQs represent the best of this: grounded in research, practical in design, and focused on real impact. Taking on this role gives me the opportunity to support leaders across our trust and beyond to grow with confidence, integrity, and purpose. It’s a privilege to be in a role where I can help create the conditions for others to grow and to see that growth ripple out into classrooms and communities.

What in your career path has led you here?

My journey has taken me through many aspects of teacher development, from mentoring trainees and ECTs, to leading whole-school CPD and literacy interventions, to shaping QA systems across multiple schools. I’ve led targeted literacy interventions that accelerated reading progress, overseen mentoring quality assurance across multiple schools, and worked with partners such as SCITTs and universities to shape teacher development. Each of these experiences reinforced a key belief: when teachers are supported well, pupils thrive

What values will you bring to the role?

For me, integrity is at the heart of leadership. It means being honest, consistent and transparent – even when the work is challenging. I also believe in bringing my full self to the role, reflective, open and human. I want NPQ programme members to feel they can do the same: that NPQs are not about pretending to have all the answers, but are about bringing curiosity, building skills and developing confidence to lead authentically.

What excites you most about this work?

I’m most excited about supporting programme members as they approach assessment and begin to put their learning into practice. I’m also looking forward to working with our excellent facilitators to deliver high-quality, meaningful NPQs. I’m particularly excited about connecting leaders across schools and contexts to share expertise and challenge each other’s thinking, developing that culture of collaboration, allowing leaders to grow and ultimately improving the experiences and outcomes of pupils.

Why choose an NPQ with Growing Together?

What makes Growing Together distinctive is our focus on relationships and authenticity. We know that leadership can sometimes feel isolating, so we want to give programme members space to collaborate and learn with others who share the same challenges and ambitions. As a programme member you’ll benefit from high-quality content, experienced facilitators, and a supportive network that understands the challenges of leadership. Our ultimate goal is the same as yours, to ensure pupils experience excellent teaching and learning, every day.

If you’re preparing for assessment - good luck!  You’ve got this.

If you’re considering your next step, explore our NPQ pathways here: https://aldridgeeducation.org/myNPQ/ or contact the Growing Together team at GrowingTogether@aldridgeeducation.org.