Dr Gill Thomas FHEA

Dr Gill Thomas For media enquiries please contact the Press Team
Senior Lecturer
Faculty:
Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences
School:
School of Education
Location:
Chelmsford
Areas of Expertise:
Education and teaching , Leadership and management
Research Supervision:
Yes
Courses taught:

Gill is Course Leader for the MA Education: Leadership and Management and MBA Educational Leadership and Management at ARU. Her areas of expertise are in leadership and management in education, having previously worked in secondary and primary education as an experienced teacher, leader, and Headteacher, before moving into Higher Education as a Senior Lecturer. Gill is an active researcher with interests in leadership and management, influences on student achievement, teacher development and professional development.

[email protected]

Background

Gill’s teaching career started in Secondary education and developed into senior leadership. Her experience over several years included Headships in secondary and primary schools and a Trust Director of Education for Quality Assurance. Gill’s educational experience includes several different London Boroughs and home counties of Essex and Norfolk. Her experience in school improvement included Ofsted inspection, school improvement partnership, External Expert for the DfE, Governance and consultancy. Gill moved to HE at ARU, having gained a doctorate in education and has senior lecture experience in the Primary Education Studies BA, the MA Education and MBA courses.

Research interests
  • Leadership and Management in Education
  • Leadership and Management
  • Influences on student achievement
  • Teacher development and professional development
  • School improvement
  • Appreciative Inquiry
Areas of research supervision
  • Leadership and Management in Education
  • Leadership and Management
  • Influences on student achievement
  • Teacher development and professional development
  • School improvement
  • Appreciative Inquiry
Teaching

Gill currently leads on the following modules:

  • MA Education with Leadership and Management
  • Leading Educational Change and Improvement (MBA Educational Leadership and Management)
Qualifications
  • Doctor of Education Ed.D Anglia Ruskin University, (2022): Voices of secondary school leaders: Perceptions of the relationship between distributed leadership and student achievement
  • MA, Master of Arts in Music Education, Trinity College of Music, London
  • NPQH National Professional Qualification for Headteachers, London
  • PGCert Higher Education, Anglia Ruskin University
  • PGCE Secondary Music Education, Middlesex University
  • BA Hons, Music, Colchester Institute
  • LGSM Music Teaching, Guildhall, London
  • ALCM Music Teaching, London College of Music
  • Life Coach Cert.
Selected recent publications

Thomas, G., 2022. Voices of secondary school leaders: Perceptions of the relationship between distributed leadership and student achievement. EdD thesis, Anglia Ruskin University.

Recent presentations and conferences

Thomas, G., 2020. School leader’s perceptions of successful distributed leadership on student achievement. Independent online professional conference.

Thomas, G., 2020. Voices of School Leaders: Perceptions of successful distributed leadership on student achievement. Presented at the Anglia Ruskin University interdisciplinary postgraduate virtual summer workshop.

Thomas, G., 2019. Appreciative Inquiry (AI): an innovative approach to eliciting voices of secondary school leaders. Presented at the Anglia Ruskin University, Annual Faculty research conference.