Maymouna has facilitated and led over thirty sessions across various topics related to inclusion, belonging, neurodiversity, and the importance of collaboration. Through these sessions, individuals have been drawn to her, seeking small group or one-on-one sessions to support and develop skill sets and strategies to build inclusion programs and systems, and engaging with diverse parents and communities. Maymouna has successfully coached individuals with a success rate of 100% to secure employment opportunities aligned with their specific skill sets and goals through self-reflection, self-awareness, and curious inquiry.

Maymouna’s coaching journey began unconventionally when she first entered the teaching profession and sought mentors and coaches to support her work with special education students. Having found a gap in the availability of coaches and mentors with an understanding and knowledge of inclusion and inclusive practices to support educators, Maymouna became the coach she had wished she had as a young teacher. Through leading and facilitating over 30 workshops for various organizations, small groups, and administration/leadership, Maymouna’s niche is in coaching individuals and organization.

Maymouna Sakho has been an educator for 15 years. She serves as the Chair for SENIA International Africa Board, mentor for the AIELOC Aspiring Leaders of Color Program, and is a co-founder and co-trainer for AIELOC’s Learning Support Affinity Group For the Margins, From the Margins with Dr. MaryAnn DeRosa. Additionally, Maymouna serves as a co-chair for MSA Accreditation Evaluation Team Visits and as a member of CIS Accreditation Evaluation Team Visits. Maymouna has served as the Head of Elementary Student Support at ISD, Senegal where she was instrumental in developing an inclusion program from 300 elementary students.

DISC

Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Certification in Diversity Equity and Inclusion – Cornell University

Maureen is passionate about using coaching as a means of creating spaces at the leadership table for those faces and voices which have not historically been represented for a variety of reasons, be that through race, ethnicity, gender, religious beliefs, sexuality, disability etc; in short, she works with those of us whose career path has often been accompanied with the sense of being ‘ The Only One’ or ‘The Other One’ .

Maureen’s work with clients centres on overcoming imposter syndrome, establishing your leadership purpose and for a growing number of clients, Leading through Menopause.

Maureen has been using coaching as the primary vehicle for team development and staff appraisals for 15 years. She has also coached school leaders who are experiencing challenge in relationships with their senior leaders, issues of self- confidence, and developing values as they start in new schools.

Maureen is a highly skilled education leader. She has been in education for almost 30 years and as a secondary teacher, taught Geography, PSHE, Food technology, Careers and Work related Learning and English all to GCSE (or equivalent) Level. Maureen is an SEN Specialist. The last 21 years of her career have been in headship at a number of special schools for young people with Social Emotional and Mental Health needs, often manifesting as highly challenging behaviour. Prior to becoming a teacher, Maureen was a Town Planner in NW England.

Association for Coaching

International Coaching with Speakup Challenge

Uses elements of NLP and fierce conversations

Sunil Naphray is a seasoned Educational, Leadership, and Life Coach with three decades of experience in educational leadership. He possesses an ILM Level 7 Diploma in Executive Coaching and Mentorship and is an accredited Professional Executive Coach approved by the Association for Coaching (AC). Sunil use several tactics, such as Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), to improve self-esteem and emotional well-being. He is pursuing a doctorate-level CMI Level 8 Diploma to improve his leadership skills and executive coaching abilities. Sunil is currently participating in coach supervisor training and is also an independent end-point assessor for Level 5 Coaching Professional apprenticeship.

Sunil has over 4,200 hours of coaching experience, including executive, life, and group coaching. He has worked with a variety of post-16 sector organisations, focussing on leadership, personal development, and strategic planning. His clients include prominent leaders in education and healthcare from schools, colleges, universities, and the NHS. Sunil’s coaching focuses on building trust with clients, communicating effectively, and developing personal and professional growth strategies. He is involved in coach education, working as an independent endpoint assessor and pursuing training to become a coach supervisor, displaying his dedication to ongoing professional development.

Sunil is an accomplished and certified professional with vast expertise in education, teacher training, and leadership development. He specialises in training leaders, managers, and coaches and has extensive coaching experience. Sunil works freelance in a flexible capacity, both in the UK and worldwide, as a teacher, trainer, coach, assessor, and verifier, using a variety of educational technology. His career has spanned a wide range of sectors, including primary, secondary, and independent schools, work-based learning, universities, the NHS, EPAOs, and awarding organisations, with a substantial impact on different educational and professional landscapes.

ILM L7

NLP

Transformational Coach

CME

DISC

Fierce Conversations

Five Dysfunctions of a Team

MBTI

Positive Intelligence

RLE

360 degree feedback

9 Belbin Roles

Leadership Circle Profile

HR stands at the forefront of championing DEIB in organisations. The value of integrating DEIB into HR practices is undeniable, impacting everything from talent acquisition to company culture. As the corporate landscape evolves, so must HR’s approach to DEIB.

Promoting and delivering DEIB in the workplace is an essential aspect of good people management. It is about creating inclusive working environments and cultures where every individual can feel safe, experience a sense of belonging, and is empowered to achieve their full potential.

As a strategic partner, HR plays a pivotal role in nurturing leadership within the organisation. HR professionals identify high-potential employees, design leadership development programs, and provide coaching and mentoring to foster the growth of future leaders.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace is a major challenge for human resources (HR). DEI is about respecting and valuing the different identities, backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of employees, customers, partners, and communities. Here are some challenges HR faces when integrating DEI into their practices:

Inclusion in the classroom means that all children, no matter their racial, religious, or ethnic background, gender, learning style, or ability have equal access to educational opportunities in a learning environment where all students are equally safe, valued, and respected.

The terms bereavement and grief are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different aspects of the experience of loss:

In short, bereavement is the state of loss, and grief is the emotional process that accompanies that loss. Bereavement can lead to grief, but grief can also occur for other types of losses, like the end of a relationship or job, not just death.

Ref: Taken from ‘The Baby Loss Guide by Zoë Clark-Coates

Educators, line managers, and educational workplaces need to be informed about bereavement and grief, which includes baby loss, to provide compassionate, timely, and appropriate support to staff and students. Understanding the emotional impact of loss enables leaders to create a supportive environment, reduce stigma, and ensure that individuals experiencing grief have access to the necessary time off, mental health resources, and accommodations. By being informed, schools can foster a culture of empathy, address the unique needs of those affected by bereavement or grief, and promote overall well-being within the school community.

1. Time Off for Dependants (Bereavement)

Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, employees, including teachers, have the right to take reasonable unpaid time off to deal with an emergency involving a dependant, which includes bereavement (such as the death of a close family member). This allows for time to arrange or attend a funeral, but the law doesn’t specify the amount of leave—what’s “reasonable” is determined by the circumstances.

2. Parental Bereavement Leave (Baby Loss)

The Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act 2018 provides statutory rights to employees who lose a child under 18 or experience a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy. This includes:

In addition to these statutory rights, schools or academies may have their own policies that offer further paid or unpaid compassionate leave.

We are collating a growing bank of resources to help you to review and develop how you support people experiencing bereavement and grief in your school. Here are some questions to reflect on:

1. Support Systems: What structures or processes are currently in place in our school to support staff and students experiencing bereavement and/or grief?
2. Communication: How do we ensure sensitive and appropriate communication with those affected by bereavement and/or grief? Do we provide clear guidelines for staff?
3. Leave Policies: Are our bereavement and parental leave policies clear, accessible, and supportive for staff? Do they meet both legal requirements and the emotional needs of individuals?
4. Training: Do our staff feel equipped and confident in offering support to colleagues and students experiencing loss? What training or resources could help improve this?
5. Emotional Well-being: How do we prioritise emotional well-being for those impacted by loss, including opportunities for counselling or mental health support?
6. Cultural Sensitivity: How do we ensure our approach to bereavement and/or grief is culturally sensitive and inclusive of diverse backgrounds and beliefs?
7. Follow-up Support: What ongoing support do we offer to individuals after the immediate bereavement period? Do we have a system to check in with them over time?
8. Student Support: How are students affected by bereavement and/or grief supported emotionally and academically? What additional resources could be provided?
9. Community Involvement: How can we engage the wider school community—parents, guardians, and external services—in supporting those experiencing loss?
10. Policy Review: How often do we review and update our bereavement and/or grief policies to ensure they remain relevant and effective?

These reflective questions aim to strengthen how schools provide compassionate and effective support for those experiencing loss.

DEIB leaders are champions for marginalised groups, actively seeking their voices and experiences. They leverage these diverse perspectives to drive innovation, a win-win for creativity, belonging and business growth.

A DEIB Leader works in collaboration with multiple stakeholders and oversees diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging activities at all levels from the Governance and Executive Leadership through to Employee Network Groups. They are an expert advocate who can equip and educate the team to create the most inclusive experience for all employees.

DEIB leaders excel at active listening, creating spaces where employees from all backgrounds feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns. A DEIB Leader authentically commits to diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging. They seek to understand other cultures, challenge the status quo, and be an advocate of equity for all. They can navigate difficult conversations about bias and microaggressions with empathy and respect.

Find out more via this article about the qualities of a successful DEIB Leader.

The path to becoming a diversity and inclusion manager usually involves obtaining a degree in a field such as human resources, sociology or business studies, gaining relevant work experience and pursuing professional certifications or postgraduate qualifications.

You can often gain relevant experience at university, through equality and diversity committees or related societies. Alternatively, voluntary work in the community can be helpful. You could seek work experience in a relevant position, either in an equality and diversity role or in something related, such as HR.

Looking for a programme to inspire and empower you as a diverse educator to develop your skills as a diverse leader?

Looking for an opportunity to be trained, coached and supported by diverse leaders in education?

Looking to build your network, to boost your confience and to hone your skills?

Then this is the leadership development course for you!