Regional Representatives
Regional Representatives
Our energetic and welcoming Regional Representatives are all parent teachers with young families. You’ll see them popping up all over the place! They host our regional WhatsApp groups, and coffee mornings in family friendly cafes and sites of cultural and historical interest. They also represent The MTPT Project at workshops and events across the UK. They love their local areas and share CPD opportunities and school partnerships via Twitter and Facebook.
To find details of the next regional meet up or event near you, check out our Calendar.
Use the social media details provided to introduce yourself to our Reps or when you see them at conferences and events, and enjoy the powerful network that they can provide! If your nearest Rep hosts a WhatsApp group, this is the best way to build community and stay in touch – contact us with your phone number and let us know which group you’d like to join.
We are always keen to welcome new Regional Representatives into our team to help connect parent teachers across the UK. If you think this role might be of interest to you whilst you are on parental leave, or on a medium to long term basis, get in contact with us.
South West

Maz Foucher, @Maz_devon44
DEVON
Maz is on Instagram @mtpt_devon, and hosts a Devon WhatsApp group.
Maz is mum to two teenage boys and is a former Assistant Headteacher and KS2 lead, based in Devon. Having juggled full time teaching, school leadership and parenting, she has a great understanding of the challenges faced by those with a young family.
After moving on from school-based roles, Maz studied for an MA in Education Leadership, specifically researching teacher retention. She is passionate about supporting education staff with their general wellbeing as well as their work life.
Maz now works in education publishing and is the Regional Representative for the MTPT Project in Devon.

Holly Bedford
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Holly hosts a Gloucestershire WhatsApp group with Alice Rawstorne.
Holly has 2 primary school age children so knows how challenging it can be to juggle being a mum, a wife, a teacher and senior leader, all while also trying to have 5 minutes to herself too!
Holly is passionate about ‘Putting Staff First’ and supporting teachers to be the best they can be. This is one of the reasons why she is so keen to act as Gloucestershire co-Rep with Alice to share experiences and information about the MTPT Project.

Alice Rawstorne
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Alice hosts a Gloucestershire WhatsApp group with Holly Bedford.
Alice worked in policy and delivery across three government departments before having two children and deciding on a career change.
She has now worked as a history teacher for three years, and was loving her temporary role as whole school Literacy Lead before her third baby arrived unexpectedly early!
Alice strongly believes that parents should be able to have a fulfilling career without sacrificing family life, and is excited to support the MTPT as Gloucestershire co-Rep with Holly.
London

Myfanwy Marshall, @miff__
WEST LONDON and ENGLISH
Myfanwy hosts a West London WhatsApp group.
Myfanwy Edwards is curriculum leader for English at The Richmond Upon Thames School. She is also the general secretary for the London Association for the Teaching of English and a PhD candidate at UCL Institute of Education.
Myfanwy has a marvellous one year old called Teifi and represents for The MTPT Project at events and through organising coffee mornings in West London.

Laura Nwanya, @being_willow
NORTH LONDON
Laura hosts a North London WhatsApp group.
Laura has three children, one at university, one at primary and one with a childminder. She is a deputy head teacher at a primary school in North London and knows how important it is to build a supportive community around you whilst balancing work and life.
North West and North East

Emma Woolmer, @RoseGreenthumb
CHESTER
Emma has been teaching for 12 years and has been settled in Chester for a decade after completing her PGCE in London. She has been a Head of English and will be starting a new role as Lead Practitioner of English in September.
Emma completed the MTPT Accreditation on her first maternity leave, and undertook the MTPT group coaching sessions during her second. She is keen to share the fantastic opportunities that the MTPT offer with others.
When she’s not organising the life admin for two small humans, Emma can be found searching for high quality cake.

Charlotte Woolley, @miss_tiggr
WEST YORKSHIRE
Charlotte hosts a West Yorkshire WhatsApp group with Lauren Nutton.
Charlotte is a Learning Director of English and freelance speaker and CPD provider. Author of both The Lost Girls, and chapter 5 of The MTPT Project’s Teaching, Parenting and Creating Family-Friendly Schools, she is currently on maternity leave with her second son.
Charlotte represents The MTPT Project in West Yorkshire, hosting coffee mornings and regional meet ups with Lauren Nutton.

Lauren Nutton, @LiteracyLau
WEST YORKSHIRE (WAKEFIELD)
Lauren hosts a West Yorkshire WhatsApp group with Charlotte Woolley.
Since having her little boy, Lauren was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, and is keen to advocate for colleagues with similar conditions and share her experience.
Lauren will be joining forces with Charlotte Woolley to represent The MTPT Project in West Yorkshire.

Gemma Molyneux
NORTH EAST
Gemma hosts a North East WhatsApp group.
Gemma is a former English teacher and second in department, currently working in Teacher Training and as a freelance coach.
She leads the way with fundraising initiatives for The MTPT Project such as EasyFundraising and Buy Me a Coffee and is the rep for the North East.
She has helped raise awareness of MTPT research as part of the media team.

Laura McCallan
LIVERPOOL
Laura hosts a Liverpool WhatsApp group.
She is an advocate for helping other teachers make the most of Shared Parental Leave arrangements to benefit themselves and their families.

Kate Kershaw
MANCHESTER
Kate hosts a Manchester WhatsApp group
Kate is an Assistant Headteacher in a secondary school in Greater Manchester. She trained as a maths teacher in 2012 through the Teach First programme.
Kate has a three year old son and a baby daughter who she is currently on maternity leave with. During her first maternity leave, Kate completed her NPQH.
This maternity leave, Kate has been taking part in the McKinsey ‘Remarkable Women’ programme and enjoying the MTPT group coaching sessions. She wants to support other parents on leave in what CPD that is available to them.
Midlands

Chioma Kpogho, @EzrasMum
BIRMINGHAM
Chioma hosts a Birmingham WhatsApp group.
Chioma is a wife and mum of 2 lovely children and a Science teacher with Physics specialism in a school in Birmingham.
Over her seven years in the classroom, she has mentored teachers both within and outside Science to find their rhythm in the classroom and build their self-efficacy and self-belief to become confident teachers. Her Masters degree focused on retention of classroom teachers and the role of teacher leadership.

Emily Pringle
LINCOLNSHIRE and HISTORY
Emily is on Threads @emilyp1008 and hosts a Lincolnshire WhatsApp group.
Emily is a Head of History and Research and Development Lead in North Lincolnshire with three children.
She is passionate about effective CPD for teachers and supporting other parent teachers after her own experiences with the MTPT Project during and in the periods following her maternity leaves.
During her second maternity, Emily discovered education reading and research, leading to a wholly different set of aspirations.
Emily represents The MTPT Project in and around Lincoln.

Jenny Turner, @JT_geog
LEICESTERSHIRE
Jenny hosts a Leicestershire WhatsApp group.
Jenny is a Geography teacher in Leicestershire. She has been teaching for 10 years and currently works 3 days a week. She is DofE manager at her school and has previously been a Head of House.
Jenny is keen to help spread the messages promoted by The MTPT Project to help make sure people know all of the options out there for them!
With her two daughters Jenny will be hosting meet ups and hopes to create a community of teacher parents to share ideas with and support each other.

Fiona Sheriff, @fiona_616
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE and GEOGRAPHY
Fiona hosts a Northamptonshire WhatsApp group.
Fiona is a Head of Geography in Northampton with ten years of teaching experience. She currently works part-time alongside being a regular speaker for the RGS and a consultant for the Geographical Association.
Fiona has two daughters and is a passionate advocate of flexible working, shared parental leave and fully-paid TLRs for part-time staff. When she’s not teaching, you’ll find Fiona on an adventure somewhere trying to teach her children about lichen and pollution.

Michelle Younger, @shell_younger
SHEFFIELD
Michelle hosts a Sheffield WhatsApp group.
Michelle is the Regional Representative for Sheffield. She qualified as an English teacher in 2016. Having recently relocated from London, she is excited to make connections and grow the reach of The MTPT Project.
Michelle completed the MTPT Accreditation on her first maternity leave, which was the foundation for her leading on explicit vocabulary instruction in her most recent school. She has worked in Croydon and Sutton and has also been a PSHE lead.
Michelle is currently on maternity leave and between roles and is taking part in the Return to Teaching programme.
South East and East of England

Emer Cullen-Taylor, @poetryisbest
PORTSMOUTH
Emer hosts a Hampshire WhatsApp group with Laura Rowlands.
Emer has taught English since 2007 and has enjoyed a number of teaching and leadership roles in Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire and Hampshire during this period, notably leadership of a large English department at a prestigious boarding school.
During her second maternity leave, Emer very much enjoyed engaging with the MTPT community, completed #maternityCPD, attending virtual coffee mornings, and the Flexible Returns and Return to Work workshops.
Emer recently returned to her role of Faculty Head of English at an 11-18 school. She is really eager to support and empower fellow parent teachers on their return to the classroom after leave, and is passionate about flexible working, maternity and paternity rights, and the powers of coaching and reading.

Laura Rowlands, @tillyteacher
SOUTHAMPTON
Laura hosts a Hampshire WhatsApp group with Emer Cullen-Taylor.
Laura represents the MTPT Project in south Hampshire, connecting members of the MTPT Project.
Laura has recently returned from shared parental leave to her job as faculty leader of English in a small secondary school in Southampton, having previously worked in a range of schools around Hampshire.
As the mother of two small sons juggling full time working, writing, and being a regional advocate for Litdrive, Laura is always looking for and often failing to find balance. She finds gin can help with this.

Katy Norsworthy, @NorsworthyKaty
BEDFORDSHIRE AND HERTFORDSHIRE
A Beds / Herts, and Oxfordshire WhatsApp group are hosted by MTPT Founder, Emma Sheppard
Katy is an experienced teacher and leader currently working as Appropriate Body advisor for The Chiltern Learning Trust.
She is proud to organise Chiltern’s termly Maternity / Paternity events for teachers on leave, which act as The MTPT Project’s regional meet ups in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
Katy is passionate about teaching and learning, and supporting parents upon the return to work.

Abbi Bansropun, @AbbiHM17
ESSEX
Abbi hosts a Essex WhatsApp group. An Eastern WhatsApp group is hosted by Founder, Emma Sheppard.
Abbi is an Assistant Headteacher at a secondary school in Essex. She loves discussing all things Teaching and Learning, with a special interest in the development of character education in schools.
She is passionate about supporting women in education and leads a working group focused on ensuring women are protected and advocated for so that they feel empowered in their roles both inside and outside of work.
In September 2023, Abbi was blessed with a baby girl and is currently on maternity leave.

Hannah Bartlett-Copeland, LinkedIn
EAST SUSSEX