Welcome to the Fellowship, Class of 2023!

This year, we’re proud to welcome another 25 exceptional School Leadership Award holders into the Rank Fellowship. To celebrate their hard work over the past two years, we hosted a special event at our Shoreditch co-working space — a welcome escape from London’s 30-degree heat on Tuesday!

Our award holders travelled from across the UK — from Dundee to Cardiff, Aberdeen to Leeds — to join us. The day was hosted by our Director of Education and Leadership, John Hind, and opened with a warm welcome from the Chair of the Fellowship, Louisa Searle. Louisa shared the value of the Fellowship as an alumni network, inspired by the wider Rank ethos, and highlighted the many opportunities it offers — from annual events and a mentoring scheme to the vibrant community on RankNet. Our Digital Hub Manager, Natalie Humber, followed with a great introduction to RankNet for our new members, showing them how to make the most of this resource.

The highlight of the day was an inspiring keynote from Jordan Ignatius, Managing Director of Reaching Higher. Jordan spoke candidly about his leadership journey, encouraging us to focus on the small, consistent actions that lead to big achievements — reminding us that if we improve by just 1% each day, we’ll eventually reach our goals.

We also heard from our SLA holders about their Community Action Placements over the summer. From working with a variety of Rank partner charities, they’ve made a real difference — and it was fantastic to hear their stories and see the impact they’ve had.

The event wrapped up with refreshments and lively conversations, giving everyone a chance to reconnect and celebrate together.

A huge thank-you to everyone who joined us, and best of luck to the SLA Class of 2023 in all the exciting adventures ahead!