Born in Manchester, Kathryn began her work in education as a volunteer teacher in Eritrea, later teaching in inner-city schools, before holding political office as an elected member of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) and becoming a local authority chief officer. She is Professor of Urban Education at UCL Institute of Education and, with DancePoet TioMolina, co-founded The Art of Possibilities.

As an international scholar whose work bridges policy and practice, Kathryn has been engaged in research, policy and development work on educational reform and school leadership, partnering with many organisations and colleagues. Her international work has included heading up the World Bank’s Effective Schools and Teachers Group. Over recent years, Kathryn’s focus has been on place and belonging, community collaboration and partnership, and new forms of leadership.