Graduates
Alfonso Iannone
I first met Alfonso on our GRJ Learning to Lead programme (aspiring to Senior Leadership) back in 2022/2023 – he was Head of English at St Leonards School, Fife at the time and I spotted him early on in the programme as someone with a huge amount of Senior Leadership potential.
Fast forward to April 2024 – and Alfonso was promoted to Assistant Head (Teaching and Learning) at Scarborough College. He has continued to grow as a Senior Leader – from September 2025 he was internally promoted to Deputy Head (Teaching and Learning), and is now moving upwards again from September 2026 to a full Deputy Head (Academic) role.
And whilst all this has been going on – Alfonso has joined my GRJ team as a super-strong teammate. He helps me lead all our Senior Leadership programmes, and in May 2026 was also a key teammate in our first ever GRJ Assistant Head Retreat.
Here’s a real success story in terms of promotion from HoD to Senior Leadership – and I am super-super-super proud to call Alfonso teammate and friend!!!
“I would highly recommend GRJ programmes to anyone looking to develop their leadership skills. The courses are both highly rewarding and genuinely valuable, combining practical strategies with thoughtful reflection. Additionally, the follow-up support, especially from Gareth himself has been exceptional.
Overall, GRJ consistently provides inspiring and impactful leadership development experiences that have without doubt positively influenced my practice and confidence as a new school Senior Leader.”
Alfonso, Deputy Head (Teaching and Learning), Scarborough College UK
Margarita Mathar
I met and worked with Margarita during 2025/26 for the first time – and so she has only just completed our Learning to Lead programme (aspiring to Middle Leadership).
I was doing my usual hello’s and welcome’s in March 2026 at Bradford Grammar School UK to finish off this year’s programme, and she quietly told me that she has been promoted to Head of Spanish at Bootham from September.
To say I was chuffed to bits would be a massive understatement – I was absolutely delighted, and this set us all up for a fantastic day of professional learning. It’s always such great news when one of our own is promoted, and I never stop getting excited when this happens.
So Margarita is just starting out on her leadership journey – I wish her the very best of luck, she will be fabulous I know – and I have a funny feeling I will be returning to this section of my website in one or two years to update this particular story!!!
“Despite over 15 years of secondary teaching experience, I always doubted whether I was ready for a bigger challenge. While I had led projects within my department and across the school over the years, I wasn't sure I had the formal skills to succeed in a leadership role.
Meeting Gareth and his team was incredibly enlightening. Completing the Aspiring to Middle Leadership programme reassured me that I was on the right path and helped me deeply analyse the core characteristics of an effective school leader.
I found every workshop very dynamic and relevant to the current school environment, and I am thrilled to say I will be starting the next academic year as Head of Spanish!”
Margarita Mathar, Head of Spanish, Bootham School York UK
Clark McCallum
I got my lucky break with FOBISIA in January 2023, and three months later I was starting my first tentative leadership pilot programme for FOBISIA schools - and Clark had signed up!
I had ambition to build a UK / International set of GRJ teammates, and Clark was the first to volunteer.
It’s fair to say that we have not looked back since – he has joined me as teammate on stage at the prestigious FOBISIA PE / Sport conference during a keynote; he has helped me set-up and lead a successful PE / Sport leadership programme for FOBISIA Directors of Sport; and in something completely different during 2025/26 he has also become a teammate and firm favourite with everyone on our international Director of Music equivalent.
And he even managed to make it across the world in summer 2025 with wife Lucy for our annual GRJ summer party in York UK, breaking all previous GRJ travel records!
A great colleague & teammate, and a wonderful pal – I am lucky to have met Clark, and he has such a bright future career ahead of him. That’s for sure.
“The GRJ programmes have been career changing for me. Bringing ambitious like-minded international professionals together to learn, share knowledge and reflect on experiences under the guidance of an inspirational GRJ Education team is a very powerful way of learning to lead properly.
A huge reason for my recent development has been GRJ and having Gareth in my corner throughout – so thank you from the heart!”
Clark McCallum, Director of Sport, Wellington College Hangzhou China