Jackie Bacon

With life-long career in education, Jackie has worked extensively in both the private and state sectors, the past 16 years as a Head Teacher. She has comprehensive academic credentials, including individual qualifications in Nursery, Pre Preparatory and Preparatory to Senior School, plus an additional Mathematics teaching award for Nursery through to Senior School level.

Her teaching experience has been gained in a very wide range of environments: a city-centre private High School, a State Primary School in London’s East End, several State Primary Schools and a private Preparatory School in Kent. In addition to her full curriculum teaching experience in all subjects, she has provided specialist teaching in maths and computing at all ages.

As the Head Teacher for a successful private (charitable trust) co-educational Preparatory School, Jackie has been responsible for the delivery of scholarship-level academic standards, sporting and artistic excellence and a caring, nurturing ethos. Whilst raising her own three children (now independent and with successful professional careers), she has provided the best possible start in life to the very large number of children entrusted to her care.

A successful business manager as well as Head Teacher, she has led a punishing schedule in a comprehensive business development programme for her most recent school, with the creation of a wide range of new buildings and other school facilities, and the introduction of many new specialist teaching staff.
	The high demand for entry at her school bears witness to her academic professionalism, her caring approach and the continuing achievements of her pupils. She has also found the time to serve on a number of local area educational committees and has a wide knowledge of local authority educational procedures.
Whilst raising her own family and teaching part time, she worked as a voluntary auxiliary carer at a local home for adults with learning disabilities.

Sarah Brew

Sarah has recently gained a qualification as Clerk to Governors and is Clerk to the governing bodies of several local schools. This role ensures she has extensive knowledge of current educational developments and the issues faced by schools.

Sarah is a Chartered Librarian, with many years experience of working in academic and school libraries. Her experience includes working in schools and colleges in London, and she was Librarian at a leading public school. Her recent experience as Librarian in a Preparatory school has given her a good insight into encouraging children to develop a love for reading. She has also taught ICT and held the post of Registrar.

As a trained indexer, Sarah has undertaken work for, among others, the National Childrens' Bureau. She has also worked with focus groups for leading educational publishers and worked as a consultant for a market research and information handling company. This has been combined with raising a family.

Viv Best - Healthcare professional

Viv is a highly qualified healthcare professional, with an excellent academic and service record. After gaining her initial qualifications in both Social Care and Mother/Child Welfare, she completed her training as a Registered General Nurse. She followed this with two BSc honours degrees, firstly gaining a BSc (Combined Honours) in Psychology and Health Science, followed by a BSc (1 st Class) in Midwifery. She continues to combine her midwifery career with raising a family of her own and lives in London.

Her professional experience has been gained in some diverse and challenging environments, including residential care work with the elderly and mentally ill and with children with extreme behavioural and social problems. Her medical experience includes both private and state sector work in obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery and orthopaedics, accident and emergency departments and, for the past few years, she has specialised in midwifery in one of the UK’s largest and busiest maternity units, serving a multi-ethnic community. She has also gained experience in private healthcare, having worked in some of London’s leading private clinics.

A keen athlete and swimmer, Viv supports a holistic approach to personal health issues, through diet, exercise and the appropriate medical care.