ACEN inaugural anti-racism conference at Dulwich College Sept 2021. From left to right – Lola Bejide – Grammar School Manager ACEN | Dr. Shola Apena Rogers – Director ACEN | Professor David Olusoga | Aisha Sanusi – Director ACEN | Amber Brown Memberships & Data Manager – ACEN | Marcial Boo – CEO of the Equality and Human Rights Commission and ACEN Advisor | Lord Simon Woolley of Operation Black Vote, Cambridge and ACEN Patron | Leah Morris – Independent School Manager ACEN
Team
Dr Shola Apena Rogers
DIRECTOR
Dr Shola Apena Rogers is a Chartered Forensic Psychologist, Lecturer at the University of Birmingham, and an experienced practitioner and researcher. She has worked within various contexts, including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, the criminal justice system, Children’s Social Care, and schools. Shola has extensive experience in project management approaches and workforce development, delivering training to a range of professionals from teachers to practitioners and volunteers. As an experienced trainer, Shola’s areas of specialism are race and racism, young people’s mental health, and trauma-informed approaches.
Shola previously held the position of school governor in a primary school on the curriculum committee.
Shola heads consultancy & training.
To get in touch, please email her here.
You can also connect with her here:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Aisha Sanusi
DIRECTOR
Aisha Sanusi has a background in marketing and communications, with a particular focus on communication and content strategies for organisations operating in diverse/cross-cultural spaces.
Similar to the work she does with ACEN, at present, she also works on the design of initiatives and events leading to actionable, institutional, and generational change in higher education and corporate spaces. In the past, she has worked with political and charitable organisations operating in the areas of race inequality/equity.
Aisha is lead D&I Governor at St Paul’s school and sits on the public benefit committee.
Aisha heads partnerships and events.
To get in touch, please email her here.
You can also connect with her here:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Amber Wager
NETWORK & OPERATIONS MANAGER
Amber Wager is a former IT business consultant with expertise in process re-engineering, data analysis and project management within the financial industry.
With the belief that leveraging the incredibly diverse and talented network within the black community is the key to rapid and sustained growth and prosperity, Amber is keen to build strong, mutually beneficial, member relationships within the ACEN collective. She wholeheartedly subscribes to the notion that it really does ‘take a village to raise a child’.
Amber has a passion for providing Black children with opportunities to fulfil their potential, with a focus on developing the ‘growth mindset’. In addition, Amber ardently encourages kidpreneurship and has personal experience of actively promoting these initiatives.
Amber is also a core member of a charitable group that raises money for children suffering with cancer.
Amber heads management of the network and operations.
To get in touch, please email her here.
You can also connect with her here:
LinkedIn
Serena deCordova
SCHOOL & SAFEGUARDING MANAGER
Serena is responsible for safeguarding and policy, bringing a breadth of knowledge about the independent school sector from both a parent and teacher perspective. Serena is a qualified teacher, who now runs her own education and consultancy business offering consultancy, tuition, and small group classes.
As a former Head of Inclusion and Enrichment at an independent school, Serena was responsible for managing the provision for children requiring additional academic ‘stretch’ and also for those children with barriers to their learning due to special educational needs.
Before joining the education sector, Serena enjoyed a decade working in not-for-profit organisations, championing children’s rights and racial equality.
Serena has an interest in children’s literature and is currently working on her first middle-grade novel.
Serena heads the 11+ preparation school & safeguarding.
To get in touch, please email her here.
You can also connect with her here:
LinkedIn
Leah Morris
HR/RECRUITMENT CONSULTANT
Leah Morris is a highly experienced recruitment and talent management professional with over 20 years of experience gained in marketing, digital, financial services, technical and support sectors from junior to board-level roles.
Leah’s knowledge and expertise span temporary and permanent recruitment, talent management, HR administration, interview training, staff inductions, onboarding, appraisals and arbitration.
Leah has a passion for creating inclusive environments, she is able to identify areas/practices that are prohibitive or restrictive to ethnically diverse groups, and by bringing them to the attention of the Senior Leadership Teams Leah is able to cast light on the issues faced by current and potential employees as well as facilitate discussions, make recommendations, and plan roadmaps for future change.
Leah heads HR & Recruitment related consultancy services.
To get in touch, please email her here.
You can also connect with her here:
LinkedIn
Lọ́lá Béjidé
CONSULTANT
Lola Bejide is the founder of a training and career strategy consultancy, established to equip the younger generations with tools and strategies for success via confidence building, soft skills training, and career trajectory planning so that they are equipped to not only achieve their full potential but empowered to challenge and remove societal/self-imposed blockers.
Lola has long been a vocal advocate for racial equity in both the corporate space (particularly during her 18-years as Senior Business Manager within the Investment Banking industry) and more recently within the educational sector. Presently, she is advising the Anti-racist, Diversity & Inclusion committees for a Primary school and a Grammar school.
Lola is currently a Governor at a London primary school and chairs the Personnel & Finance Committee.
Lola offers training and consultancy and heads the Charter (Launching 2023)
To get in touch, please email her here.
You can also connect with her here:
LinkedIn
Justice Aina
ONLINE & RESEARCH MANAGER
Justice is an ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) studentship awarded PhD student, currently at the university of Durham.
Her thesis investigates the experience of Black students at private schools and focuses on identity development and positionally within these spaces.
She has been very active in discussions around race and schooling, especially concerning private schools, and was a founder of the ‘Black Girls’ Private School Community’
Justice is also currently an Inclusion Fellow at a Top London Independent school and is carrying out evaluation consultation for UNFPA (The United Nations Population Fund).
Justice leads ACEN’s content and online community engagement.
To get in touch, please email her here.
You can also connect with her here:
LinkedIn
ACEN Teacher Network & Advisory Team
The ACEN Teacher Network is chaired by Dr. Malcolm Cocks. For any Black Teacher Network inquiries please contact him at malcolm@aceducationnetwork.com He also sits on ACEN’s Advisory Board alongside Dr. Nick Dennis and Allana Gay, all advising on Teacher Initiatives, Research, Education, Training, and Policy.
Dr Malcolm Cocks
Malcolm is an Inclusion expert and English Teacher with 15 years’ experience. He is on the advisory board for the African and Caribbean Education Network with a particular focus on Research, Policy, and Teaching & Learning.
He is also on the Steering Group for the Schools’ Inclusion Alliance and remains committed to helping schools foster anti-racist cultures and champions the inclusion of pupils and teachers with African and Caribbean heritage.
Malcolm has worked as a teacher or Inclusion Lead in some of London’s most prominent Independent Schools. Educated in Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, he studied for his BA at Oxford and his PhD at King’s College, London. He has lectured in Literature and Visual Cultures at the University of London and in 2014, he was elected to a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Allana Gay
Allana Gay is a teacher, education advisor, and speaker. She started teaching and leading within inner-city London secondary schools and is currently the Headmistress of Vita et Pax Preparatory School.
Allana cofounded BAMEed Network in 2017 with the aim of bringing attention and action to the issue of ethnic diversity throughout the education sector. As a recognisable figure for BAMEed, Allana works on the overarching strategy of normalising full ethnic presence through all areas and institutions of education.
Allana maintains keen interest and activity in the teaching profession. From deepening primary secondary partnership to improving recruitment to diversifying curricula, she has written for various publications, regularly presents these ideas at conferences and in the media.
