Our Team
The team below provides the principal points of contact for schools, partners and programme participants working with ESP. They coordinate our services, manage key relationships and ensure every customer receives consistent and responsive support.
Alongside these key contacts, ESP draws upon an extensive and flexible network of education consultants, serving and former international school leaders, experienced BSO inspectors and specialist practitioners, enabling us to match the right expertise to the needs of each school.
Amanda Picillo
Managing Director
Amanda is the Managing Director of ESP. Before this role, Amanda was CEO of a UK educational social enterprise offering services to schools throughout the UK and international sectors. Amanda has also been Headteacher of 3 different schools over a period of 13 years.
As a National Leader of Education (NLE), she has a wide experience of supporting schools and working in partnership with other leaders to improve outcomes. For 7 years she led an outstanding 800-place Academy and established a Multi Academy Trust. In addition to her CEO role at the Academy she was also Director of Initial Teacher Training (ITT). Throughout her career she has led her schools through 3 separate outstanding judgements by Ofsted. Her teaching training centre was judged outstanding twice and was rated the third best teacher training establishment nationally.
Amanda can be contacted at amanda@espeducation.co.uk
Mark Bignell
Business Development Director
Mark is ESP’s Business Development Director and has more than 15 years’ experience of supporting British international schools. During this time, he has played a leading role in developing services that respond to the professional development, leadership and school improvement priorities of the sector.
Alongside his role at ESP, Mark is Executive Officer of the Association of British Schools Overseas (AoBSO), the Department for Education-recognised membership association exclusively representing leaders of DfE-accredited British Schools Overseas. This gives him a detailed understanding of the opportunities, expectations and challenges facing British schools internationally.
Mark can be contacted at mark@espeducation.co.uk
Liberty Taylor-Hopkins
Customer Account Executive
Liberty is ESP’s Customer Account Executive and provides a central point of contact for schools, partners and programme participants across the UK and internationally.
She supports customers throughout their work with ESP, helping with enquiries, registrations, programme administration and account management. Liberty works closely with schools and colleagues across the organisation to ensure that information is communicated clearly, queries are resolved promptly and customers receive a responsive and professional service.
Liberty can be contacted at liberty@espeducation.co.uk