About Oxford School of Thought

The Oxford School of Thought is an independent primary education think tank – the first of its kind in the UK. We are a group of dedicated educators and experts helping to generate considered opinions about all matters educational. We are located amongst the dreaming spires of Oxford, but don’t reside in the ivory towers. We are all active in the world of education with associates in all spheres.

We are a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, Registered Charity Number: 1161778.

Trustees

Peter Cansell – Founder & trustee

Peter co-founded OST. He is passionate about leading the change in education for young people. Previously a headship in Oxfordshire, he’s a member of National Executive for the National Association for Primary Education, is part of the editorial board for Primary First and is a researcher and writer on matters educational. In addition he supervises trainee teachers at Oxford Brookes University and advises FMCG companies including L’Oreal, Essity and Kellogg where he’s a judge on the Breakfast Club awards, on how to raise their social impact in young people and families. A Fellow of Royal Society of Arts, another focus is on the adoption of technologies for education (3d printing in primary schools being one example).

Peter retrained as a teacher in his late 20s following an earlier start in the engineering and logistics industries. He holds a degree in Education from Southampton University.

Pip Marples – Trustee

Pip promotes professionalism as the prerequisite for all teachers and headteachers. In his career spanning two headships in Oxfordshire schools, and as consultant head in two others, he promoted the idea that educators should stand alongside doctors and lawyers as professional people.  During that time he was Chair of the Education Council and was on the House of Lords working party to set up a general teaching council. Along the way he set up and ran a Primary Music School, led a music teachers’ group of primary and secondary colleagues and was external moderator for third year teaching practice students at Exeter University. During his time in Oxfordshire he was president of the NAHT local branch, and chair of the National Association for Primary Education. He was a founder member of the long standing and influential Oxfordshire Headteachers’ Conference, and has been its manager for the past ten years.  

Pip holds a Masters degree in Education Management from Oxford University.

Xander Cansell – Founder & trustee

Xander co-founded OST. Previously he was Head of Digital for a crowdfunded publishing company which he joined in its infancy as a startup and helped grow to a successful SME. For over a decade, he has designed, built and helped build digital things working with and for companies across the digital spectrum. Xander is now an independent consultant, combining his knowledge and experience of growing organisations and solving complex business problems – informed by his time as a freelance developer and a researcher – with his passion and enthusiasm for enabling great ideas and developing future-facing strategies.

Xander holds an MA in Psychology, Philosophy and English from the University of St Andrews and is currently undertaking an EMBA.

Team

Paul Bonné – Marketing & Funding

Paul joined OST following a successful career working for major international companies, mainly in the arena of sales and business development with his final corporate position being Managing Director of a FTSE subsidiary. With the birth of his grandchildren, Paul took the opportunity to branch into combining corporate consultancy roles with his passion of educating and training young people and teachers and Authorities in the world of business. On the board of Young Enterprise in Oxford he has been mentoring and accelerating young entrepreneurs’ fledgling businesses as well as and raising over £250,000 of sponsorships to enable the Oxfordshire Head Teachers Annual conference to thrive.  

Jim Roberson –

Jim believes quite simply in the power of education; that education is the number one key to unlocking a whole world of opportunities. Originally from New York, Jim, a skilled sportsman and coach, was invited to the UK to coach American football in 1989 and has never looked back. Currently, Jim works as an Assistant Headteacher 3 days a week in the South of England and as an educational consultant for his company, Youth Minded Ltd. He is absolutely convinced that it is his education that has enabled him to have choices and steer the path of his career. Jim is also a passionate advocate for creating aspirations for life - whether that be taking students to New York, organising trips on a Saturday for disadvantaged pupils or delivering motivational sessions within the school environment: “The more you see, the more you aspire to be”. In addition, Jim has written a book, The Discipline Coach, and has other written work published in several professional publications. Jim graduated from The University of Rhode Island, USA, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.