Meet the team

Oliver Crooke

Oliver joined Hackney Music Service during its formation in 2000. Prior to this, he trained as a classical musician and worked as a professional bassist, playing and recording in punk, rock, jazz and African bands, having grown up in Africa. He is responsible for ICT Music development in Hackney, event production, including the annual festival, and manages the peripatetic tutors teaching in Hackney schools. 

During his performing career in the 1980s and 90s, Oliver taught bass and music technology in most of Hackney's secondary schools, ran three large scale community music programmes on estates in the borough, and founded music departments in HMP Holloway and Pentonville. Oliver’s interest in teaching music was sparked at age 19 when Joe Strummer from The Clash asked him to explain major scales whilst touring with the band. Since then, Oliver has taught many musicians who have worked professionally with major artists across genres.

Nick Corker

Nick has been a qualified teacher for 27 years and has worked in Hackney for the past 22. After a leadership role in a large primary school with responsibilities for assessment and behaviour he was seconded to Hackney Education to the newly formed Virtual School for Looked After Children. After taking the job permanently Nick has overseen the expansion of the Virtual School to incorporate Care Leavers and young people in the youth justice system.

Nick has developed a multidisciplinary team of professionals that supports children and young people with a range of needs. He has a strong focus of helping them to grow into resilient and successful young adults whatever their academic ability.

Nick is also the Chair of the Kench Hill Charity.

Richard Boxall

Richard is an accomplished trainer and Teacher Leader who trained with Dame Marie Clay at the Institute of Education and has experience working with nursery, primary, secondary and adult students across settings. 

He originally trained as a teacher of the deaf, and was responsible for leading the first fully integrated hearing impaired unit in Tower Hamlets. He currently leads Hackney Education’s Daily Supported Reading (DSR) programme; an internationally acclaimed approach to the teaching of early reading in KS1, which he designed in partnership with teacher colleagues, currently used in schools across the UK and in Denmark. Central to his development has been a curiosity and deep fascination with the process of children’s language and literacy acquisition, as well as his interest in effective and creative responses to reading underachievement. 

Kate Moorse

Kate has over 40 years’ experience in curriculum, assessment and professional development at school, local authority and national levels.

Specialist in history and the humanities curriculum, she has worked cross-phase as adviser/inspector for 3 local authorities; as Ofsted inspector and Curriculum Adviser for the Qualifications Curriculum Authority (QCA). Since leaving QCA, she has worked as a consultant to schools, local authorities and national bodies. She currently works with primary humanities co-ordinators in a number of London local authorities, as 16-19 consultant for Hackney Education and as a volunteer, developing training programmes for rural young women to teach EY/KS1 classes in rural north India and cross-phase professional development programmes in Delhi and other urban centres. She is also an Honorary Fellow for the Schools History Project.

Wendy Finan

Wendy has over thirty years experience with secondary and post-16 Maths education working as a teacher and department-lead in schools and colleges across London, including in Redbridge, Walthamstow and Havering, and as the Director of Maths in a secondary school rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

Currently, Wendy leads on Secondary Mathematics for Hackney Education, working with schools in and beyond Hackney to support and deliver school improvement. She is responsible for supporting and developing Mathematics departments, leaders and individual maths teachers, and delivering Mathematics network meetings. Wendy works with schools to develop their departmental processes and ensure that leaders are aware of and able to demonstrate a sound knowledge of and rationale for the intent, implementation and impact of their curriculum.

Rosie Condon

Rosie has worked in primary education in London for over 20 years. Her love and knowledge of reading and literacy has been a constant throughout her career. She taught for 11 years in an outstanding Hackney school, initially as a Literacy Lead before becoming Deputy Head and Head of School.

Currently, Rosie works on the Destination Reader and Daily Supported Reading team in Hackney Education. As part of her role, she develops, trains and supports primary reading working closely with schools in Hackney and beyond, and develops and supports leaders to model and build effective teaching. She has also successfully completed her NPQH and trained as a Reading Recovery teacher, furthering her knowledge and understanding of reading skills and attainment. 

Emma Burton

Emma has 19 years experience within primary education and currently works as an Associate Deputy Head Teacher and Primary Maths Consultant in Hackney. Having worked with Hackney Education for 8 years, she supports schools and settings with her maths expertise, focusing on raising standards and improving outcomes for all children in mathematics.

Prior to this, Emma was a specialist Maths teacher, mentor and trainer across the primary age phase. She has a Postgraduate Diploma in Maths Specialist Teaching, and understands the importance of developing pupils as mathematical-thinkers and independent problem-solvers. Emma’s other responsibilities include primary maths and science training, Appropriate Body work, ECT training and Raising Achievement co-ordination.

Kathleen O’Connor

Kathleen has worked for over 25 years in primary schools in Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Australia as a senior leader, governor and subject lead on various areas of the curriculum. She currently works as an Associate Deputy Headteacher and Teaching and Learning Consultant for Hackney Education, advising on Primary Literacy and working intensively with schools to support leadership and train, monitor and coach teachers and literacy-leads. 

Kathleen worked with a group of Hackney teachers to develop a KS2 model for teaching reading called ’Hackney Loves Reading.’ This became ‘Destination Reader’, a programme now used in 200+ schools across England and abroad. Kathleen works with colleagues to oversee the development of the approach through training and ongoing support for schools. She has also worked strategically to improve reading in other local authorities and academy trusts, and has worked with schools in London and Sussex as part of the School Strategic Improvement Fund.

Joanna Murray

Jo has worked in education settings for over 20 years. Since graduating in Media Communications, she has worked on various projects, ranging from company CPD to University recruitment within the UK and internationally. 

Jo joined Hackney Education’s School Improvement Team in 2008 and is currently a Project Officer for Hackney’s literacy projects, Destination Reader, Daily Supported Reading and The Lit Programme, used by schools across the UK, China and Denmark. She works with colleagues to ensure a high level of support across all aspects of the programmes, as well as projects funded as part of the School Strategic Improvement Fund and the Education Endowment Foundation.

Marlene Wylie

Marlene works across a wide variety of regional and national organisations. Having trained originally as a textiles designer she has taught art, craft and design in schools at primary and secondary level for over 20 years. Operating in a strategic and co-ordinating role has resulted in the forging of professional relationships and contacts at key institutions in the field of Art, Craft and Design advocacy. She is recognised as a Consultant Member of the National Society of Education in Art and Design (NSEAD) as well as The Design & Technology Association (DATA) and having served as Vice President for (NSEAD) continues to support the growth and objectives of these organisations through a network of school meetings, events and activities across the country.