Sean Cavan
Sean has over 40 years’ experience of supporting educational improvement in the UK and internationally through leadership, risk analysis and quality assurance, education sector partnership development, research, consultancy and systems-wide knowledge dissemination. He chairs the Audit and Risk and the Environment sub-committees of the Trust board.
He is also a member of several bodies including the Institute for Apprenticeships ITT Trailblazer Group, the National Audit and Risk Chairs Forum, the Accreditation Team for the Association of Education Advisors, works with the Advisory Boards for several Teaching School Hubs and is External Examiner for Master’s programmes at the University of Reading and University of the West of England.
From 2000 to 2023 he co-led Sheffield Hallam University’s engagement with national education workforce initiatives which involved extensive engagement with HEIs, schools, MATs, Early Years Settings and the Departments of Education in England and Wales. Particular foci included the quality assurance and risk analysis of effective education partnership development and the creation of 6 major postgraduate programmes in education and education leadership for UK and overseas students.
Sean also served for 13 years on the Executive Committee of the Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers, including 7 years as Vice-Chair and Chair. In these roles he worked with Government bodies and agencies on major initiatives including the development of Teaching Schools, the School Direct model for ITE, the national Masters in Teaching and Learning programme and the national Welsh Government Masters in Educational Practice,
Other major projects include developing academic and professional accreditation frameworks for the US Department of State and British Council Fulbright programmes, the UK Association of Education Advisors, the Teacher Development Trust, The Brilliant Club, The National College for School Leadership and The National Science Learning Centre. He has also been external examiner for the MA Education and Education Leadership programmes at a number of universities including UCL-IoE, Birmingham City, Wolverhampton, Plymouth MarJon and Cardiff and has undertaken external validation and QAA reviews in education at 14 other institutions.