Anna Kyrk
Anna quickly realised on her first classroom placement that teaching was the exact right fit, and far more than just a career option. Immediately, relationships with young people became the core of Anna’s practice when she connected with a student who had experienced significant trauma, through their mutual interest in the world of Harry Potter and making a life-sized paper mâché sea turtle named Ben. Two decades later, Anna has developed into a dynamic educator and senior leader. Her journey includes working as Head of Middle School and whole-school Deputy Head at a trailblazing 4-18 school in East London.
Anna has experience transforming educational spaces into vibrant spaces of innovation, support and growth, learning alongside colleagues setting up Voice 21, the UK’s oracy education charity. The power of student voice in the development of positive school culture has been a key feature ever since in Anna’s work. She has hosted, trained and consulted with fellow educators from around London, the UK and internationally, supporting schools and teachers to develop their culture and their curriculum offers, focusing on the holistic development of Head, Heart and Hand for students.
Wholeheartedly committed to taking a relational approach when working with young people and colleagues, Anna firmly believes that strong, meaningful and authentic connections should be at the core of every successful educational experience. From innovative curriculum design to fostering a culture of excellence, Anna is dedicated to supporting the development of environments where young people, staff, and the wider community thrive.
As a senior leader, consultant and coach, Anna has honed her expertise in developing exceptional relationships with students that are truly life-changing. With a teaching and leading background in both the UK and Australia, and a knack for navigating challenging contexts, Anna is skilled at blending high support with high challenge to ensure safety, inclusion and stability for all students, particularly those who are vulnerable, have additional needs or face greater challenges in their lives.
Anna spent five years implementing a relational approach developing a 5-8 middle school specific offer, using Paul Dix;s books as a guiding handbook on this journey. She has seen how transformative the approach can be when all adults work together with the mindset of 'this is how we do things here’.
Anna is immensely proud to work with Paul and the When The Adults Change team, an organisation that aligns perfectly with her belief in transformative culture-building. Speaking from deep lived experience, Anna brings invaluable insights and a heartfelt commitment to fostering positive change in school communities. She is very excited to work with and learn from schools all around the world!