David Kennedy

David was educated in Bristol and the University of Lancaster where he read history and politics and completed a PGCE at Birmingham University. David taught history and politics in a number of Grammar Schools in Kent and Buckinghamshire.

In 1992 David was appointed Deputy Headteacher at Goffs School, a large comprehensive school in Hertfordshire which specialised in languages. 

In 1998 he was appointed to the Headship of The John Warner School.  The school was rated as “outstanding” by OFSTED in 2011.  OFSTED described the school as “a rare example of a transformation that has been sustained over time”.  Grades increased from 5A*-C from 13% in 1999 to 98% in 2012 and at the same time had more than doubled the number of pupils on roll from 565 to around 1250.  The school held Investors in People Gold Standard and Champion Status together with Customer Service Excellence with complete compliance in all areas.

David was a National Leader of Education until 2014.  He served on the board of a major national charity promoting financial education in schools (PFEG) until its merger with Young Enterprise.  David also piloted a major project supporting language teaching in primary schools on behalf of the Göethe Institute.  He has also done extensive work in promoting the teaching of modern languages, including German, speaking at conferences and events, contributing to a number of videos and also meeting with German politicians to discuss the English education system. He has also given evidence to the APPG on the importance of teaching languages.

David is a highly supportive member of the local Chamber of Commerce and is deeply involved in a number of projects and served as a Patron of the Chamber of Commerce.

David has a special interest in financial education for school children and has given evidence to the All-Party Group at the House of Commons and spoken at the Gleneagles Conference sponsored by Goldman Sachs

Additionally, David holds or has held the following posts:

• Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
• Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management and Member of the Institute of Directors.
• Member of Ambition Broxbourne which seeks to raise the economic performance of the Borough of Broxbourne and links with the Hertfordshire LEP.
• A non-executive director of a large catering company serving on its Remunerations and Audit Committee
• Headteacher Consultant for the Prince’s Teaching Institute overseeing projects, being a lead consultant at conferences and working with them on a continuing basis. 
• Trustee of Personal Financial and Educational Group, now merged with Young Enterprise
• University board member of the London Institute of Banking and Finance and Chair of its Audit Committee and is also the Board’s Safeguarding Lead
• Member of the West Essex Teaching School Alliance (Trust)
• Chair of the Regional Network for Chairs of school boards in SE Hertfordshire
• Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching
• Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Founders and Chair of its Education Committee.
• Board member for Bedford Giving, an educational charity
• Independent Council member for Brunel University with special responsibility for Apprenticeships
• From September 2018 David served as CEO and Executive Headteacher of the Hoddesdon School Trust and now serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.