RIDGEWAY ASSOCIATES - Key Persons

Jim Laing is a former teacher, headteacher of two schools and Chief Education Advisor for a large local authority. He has also trained as a Mediator (Law Society), Coach (Hay Group) and Counsellor (Central School of Coaching and Therapy). Jim set up his own consultancy, Ridgeway Associates, in 1999. Although originally specialising in education, Jim now provides support for a range of leaders in both the public and private sectors. Jim has presented at conferences in the USA, Germany, France, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, the Netherlands and throughout the UK. He has written many articles for newspapers and professional journals and authored e-learning programmes on mentoring and conflict resolution. Over recent years Jim has specialised in Leadership Coaching. As part of the team delivering the International Leadership and Management Programme he coaches educational leaders and also enjoys spending time in classrooms and lecture rooms around the world, learning about learning wherever he can. In his home county of Wiltshire, Jim leads the training for the Headteacher Mentoring Programme. He has also delivered many programmes for the National College for School Leadership and other national organisations such as LSIS and QIA. For more than eight years, Jim has been providing one-to-one leadership mentoring/coaching for senior staff at Aberystwyth University. Jim has worked since the mid 1990s, providing support and training at establishments around the world, including the British Schools of America (BSA), the International School of Milan and the Skagerak International School in Norway. Jim's experience in international education has led him to become the Education Consultant for several large UK-based global companies. Jim has two grown-up children and lives in Wiltshire with his wife, Ruth, who worked as a primary teacher for over 30 years.