Growing Together Spotlight - Andrea Bean

Andrea Bean joined Aldridge Education this year as Trust Lead for Professional Development. Prior to joining the Trust, she was Managing Director at the Teacher Development Trust, having previously led research and evaluation, as well as the design and delivery of NPQs and wider professional development programmes. During her time there, she authored a number of national reports on teacher development, including Teacher Development: The CPD Landscape 2025 and What is Didagogy? Exploring the Discipline of Teaching Teachers. 

Before joining the Teacher Development Trust, Andrea spent 16 years in primary education. During this time, she held a range of senior leadership positions, including headship. Andrea is also Chair of Governors at a primary school and serves as a board member of a multi-academy trust. 

Here we find out more about Andrea, her motivation for working with Aldridge and what professional development means to her.   

What attracted you to Aldridge Education and the Growing Together team? 

What attracted me to Aldridge Education was the trust’s clear commitment to professional development for colleagues in all roles, at all stages of their careers as well as whole-school improvement support. For me, this really demonstrates a genuine investment not only in the people who work within Aldridge, but also in the wider education sector by developing strong practitioners, leaders and staff who work to positively impact the lives of children and young people.

I was also inspired by Aldridge's dedication to helping young people develop the skills, qualifications and confidence they need to succeed in their future careers. The focus on understanding that success can look different for every learner, and creating opportunities and educational environments where all young people can thrive, strongly aligns with my own values.

More specifically, for me, the Growing Together team plays a key role in bringing together professional development, evidence-informed practice and the realities of school contexts. The opportunity to contribute to a team that supports schools to build capacity and strengthen systems and practice to drive sustainable improvement felt like a natural fit with my experience and passions.   

What are you most looking forward to in your new role? 

I am most looking forward to building relationships with colleagues across Aldridge schools and gaining a deeper understanding of the unique strengths, opportunities and challenges within different contexts. I love working collaboratively with schools to identify meaningful solutions, and I am excited about the opportunity to support colleagues in ways that are practical, relevant for them and impactful.

I am also looking forward to being part of the Growing Together team and learning from the wealth of expertise across the trust. Joining a trust that values joint working and continuous improvement is particularly exciting, and I am keen to utilise my own skills and apply my experiences while continuing to develop professionally myself.  

What experience or skills are you bringing with you? 

Throughout my career, I have worked across a range of roles in education, including whole-school leadership as well as leading key areas such as Pupil Premium, behaviour, data and wellbeing. These experiences have given me a strong understanding of the opportunities, challenges and complexities faced by schools and educational leaders which I would hope to bring to my work at Aldridge. 

A particular strength I think I bring is the ability to bridge the gap between educational research and classroom practice. I have significant experience designing and facilitating professional learning, supporting early career teachers, and working alongside leaders at different stages of their careers. I have also led and contributed to educational research projects, enabling me to work effectively with colleagues to translate evidence into practical, sustainable approaches that lead to meaningful improvement. 

Over recent years, I have also worked closely with a range of schools and settings to review their professional development provision, implement evidence-informed changes, including the development of coaching cultures, and evaluate their impact. This has strengthened my ability to work collaboratively with schools and support ongoing improvement in ways that are both strategic and achievable. 

What does great professional development mean to you? 

For me, great professional development starts by meeting people where they are and intentionally builds on the knowledge, skills and experience they already have. It should be clearly focused on improving outcomes for children and young people while also aiming to develop an education workforce that is skilled and committed to continual improvement.  I also believe that for professional development to be truly effective, it must be relevant to an individual's role, stage of development and context, addressing a genuine challenge or identified area for improvement. I don't think it can work effectively if it is not supported by the school or wider organisation.  

At both the design and delivery stage it needs to build knowledge for the participant whilst also giving them the chance to both practise the skills and carefully consider what implementation of change will look like. If this can be tied in with a clear understanding of the context and professional identities of the participants, I believe this will support sustainable positive change.     

What area of education are you most passionate about? 

 I am particularly passionate about schools using trauma-informed practice to create environments where children feel safe, understood and that they belong, because I genuinely believe these are the foundations on which learning and personal development are built. When those foundations are in place, all pupils, regardless of their background or experiences, are better able to engage with school life, develop positive relationships and achieve success - whatever that might look like for them. 

For me, trauma-informed practice is much more than a specific approach or intervention; it is a way of understanding and responding to the needs of children and young people. It should underpin every aspect of school life, shaping policies, relationships and everyday interactions. At its heart is a commitment to looking beyond behaviour and seeking to understand the experiences, needs and circumstances that may be influencing it. When schools adopt this mindset, they respond with consistency and compassion while still maintaining expectations for all pupils. In my experience, this not only has a positive impact on children and young people but also helps to build a school culture where staff feel more empowered and supported to better meet the needs of their pupils.   

What would colleagues be surprised to learn is one of your strengths? 

Many colleagues may be surprised to learn that one of my strengths is creating cultures where wellbeing is embedded into everyday practice rather than being treated as a standalone initiative. 

Throughout my career, I have developed expertise in mental health and wellbeing, leading initiatives both within individual schools and across a multi-academy trust. What I most enjoy is helping organisations move beyond isolated wellbeing activities and instead embed wellbeing into policies, systems, leadership decisions and day-to-day interactions. 

As a qualified Instructor in First Aid for Mental Health, I delivered training to colleagues across the trust and beyond, helping to build confidence in recognising and supporting both adult and young people's mental health. Alongside this, I developed and implemented wellbeing policies for staff and pupils, ensuring they translated into meaningful practice rather than remaining as written documents. Through this work, I developed a strong understanding of how wellbeing can be woven into whole-school culture, ensuring it supports both staff and pupils in a sustainable and genuinely meaningful way.