Russell has worked in a range of educational settings, most recently as a founding member of staff at Houlton School, a brand new Secondary school in the Midlands, leading the Creative Faculty from its inception. As a successful leader, Russell is a keen advocate for synthesising academic progress with pastoral guidance and has mentored pupils throughout their school career, most recently undertaking training in restorative practice and the development of positive relationships within an educational environment. Russell has an innate passion for the power of the arts to affect change and believes that every child has the potential to contribute to the cultural landscape of our communities, and speaks regularly about this across a range of media, from podcasts to educational literature.
Russell was awarded ‘Outstanding New Teacher of the Year’ at the National Teaching Awards in 2023 and the ‘V&A Innovate Teacher of the Year Award’ in 2024.
Russell lives on site at Forres Sandle Manor and is looking forward to extending his passion for educating young people inside and outside of the classroom. Outside of work, Russell enjoys spending time with his large family, life-long friends and loves watching a good documentary.