How we work

We help leaders build confident, consistent practice when inclusion challenges show up day to day. Our approach is practical and grounded, starting with insight into what's happening now and focusing on changes that hold up in real settings.

Our approach

Exclusion rarely needs anyone to try – it happens by default when silence gets mistaken for neutrality. That’s why we don’t treat inclusion as a values exercise. It’s what happens in practice, in the decisions leaders make when something difficult actually happens – not what’s written in a policy.

Your first thought isn’t the problem – what you do next is the choice. People fall back on what they’ve rehearsed, not what’s written down, so the work starts with behaviour and builds outward into systems that hold the standard even when no one’s watching.

I’ve lived this as a founder, not just studied it – building a school from a standing start, watching growth outpace good intentions fast. That’s exactly why this approach starts with systems: I’ve seen how easily exclusion slips in when nobody’s built something to catch it.

  • Exclusion named honestly, not danced around
  • Practice over policy - real decisions, not paperwork
  • Systems that hold, even when you're not in the room
  • Your first thought isn't the problem - what you do next is

From insight to action

We start by getting clear on what is happening now and what needs to change first. Then we build the shared language and leadership confidence to respond well in real situations. Finally, we help you embed that practice into everyday systems so it becomes consistent across teams.

Diagnose what is happening now

We map what is happening in day-to-day practice, where inconsistency is showing up, and what is driving it.

  • What is happening, where, and in what situations
  • Where responses vary across people or teams
  • What needs attention first, and what can wait

Confident, consistent responses

Using the diagnostic, we strengthen leadership confidence and give teams shared language and practical tools for the moments that matter.

  • Shared language for tricky conversations
  • Practical tools and responses
  • What needs attention first, and what can wait

Embed into everyday practice

We help you put the approach into systems and routines so it holds up over time and does not rely on one person.

  • Align routines, policies, and accountability
  • Support leaders to sustain consistency
  • Review what is improving and adjust if needed
A Black woman smiling at the camera. She is wearing a grey polo neck jumper

Leadership, culture and systems

I talk to a lot of founders who tell me the same thing: ‘We used to be closer than this.’ At ten people, you knew everyone and caught the tension before it became a problem. At forty or fifty, you can’t be in every room anymore – and what worries you isn’t a values statement. It’s whether a difficult conversation gets handled the same way whether you’re there or not.

That’s the moment leadership and culture stop being the same thing. Leadership is what you do when you’re in the room. Culture is what happens when you’re not – and that gap is where things slip: the comment let go because no one’s sure what to say, the manager who handles two similar situations differently, the good person who quietly starts looking elsewhere.

None of that is a failure of values.

It’s what happens by default when growth outpaces the systems meant to hold things together – and closing that gap is what this work actually is.

  • Leadership for the moments you're in the room
  • Culture for the moments you're not
  • Systems that close the gap between the two

Support for leaders in organisations and schools

Choose the route that matches your setting. Each one is designed to build confidence, consistency and clear next steps.

Working with schools

Support for leaders to build calmer, more consistent practice when inclusion challenges show up through behaviour, language, and day-to-day incidents. The focus is shared expectations, clear responses, and systems that help staff handle situations with confidence.

For example

  • Reduce inconsistency in how incidents are handled across teams
  • Build shared language staff can rely on in real moments
  • Embed the approach into routines, policies, and everyday expectations

Working with organisations

For founders and leaders whose organisations are scaling fast – where growth outpaces the systems meant to hold it together. That’s exactly when exclusion creeps in, unwittingly: inconsistent responses, mixed messages, moments handled differently depending on who’s in the room and who’s watching.

Left alone, that gets expensive – and it escalates in a predictable order. First, quiet attrition: you lose good people before you even know there’s a problem. Then it becomes formal: small issues nobody caught early turn into grievances, with real cost in time, money and stress. Then it hits reputation: word gets round, and hiring gets harder.

We help you build the leadership and culture that closes that gap – practical tools, clearer expectations, and a consistent approach your team can actually use, day to day.

For example

  • Equip managers with language and tools for live conversations
  • Set clearer expectations so responses don't vary by team
  • Improve consistency in how issues are handled and escalated

Speaking and keynotes

For conferences and leadership teams who want a grounded talk, shaped around your audience and what’s actually going on in the room – one that challenges thinking and leaves people with practical ways to respond.

For example

  • Practical ways to respond when situations feel loaded
  • Language leaders can take back to their teams
  • Clear next steps, not awareness for awareness' sake

Trusted support for leaders

Elevation Coaching and Consulting helps founders and leaders build the leadership and culture that inclusion depends on. The work sits at the point where behaviour, decisions and systems collide: handling language, incidents, staff confidence, and inconsistent practice, often under pressure and with limited time.

Exclusion rarely comes from bad intentions. It shows up as silence, inconsistency, and moments handled badly – which is why Audrey’s approach is practical, not theoretical: helping teams build shared language, respond more consistently, and embed clearer expectations into systems and routines. The goal is confidence and consistency across teams, not one-off awareness.

  • Support for CEOs, executive heads and headteachers
  • Support for HR managers and L&D leads
  • Practical training, coaching and consultancy
  • Focused on confidence, consistency and risk reduction
  • Embedded in your systems, not a one-off session

"We adopted a whole-community approach to engagement. Audrey provided training for teaching and support staff, governors and school leaders, whilst also seeking feedback from colleagues, pupils and parents. Over the last two years, we have seen real and tangible progress, leading to the development of an Inclusion Policy, the establishment of an Inclusion Working Group, two parental forums, and staff-facilitated training. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Audrey. I greatly value her openness, her willingness to provide constructive challenge, and the support she has offered throughout our partnership. "

Rector Hutchesons' Grammar School

Frequently asked questions

We've answered some of the questions leaders and organisations often ask before getting started. If you're unsure where you fit, or want to talk through your context, we're happy to have a conversation.

Ask a Question

This work is for senior leaders in organisations and schools and multi-academy trusts who are responsible for inclusion but often feel underprepared, time-poor, or inconsistent in how they respond.

If you are a founder of a small or medium sized business, CEO, headteacher, HR director, or L&D lead who wants inclusion to be embedded in everyday practice rather than bolted on, this is for you. The work is designed for people operating in real settings, under real pressure, who need practical support rather than theory alone.

Yes — we work with both.

We support organisations outside education, including charities, local authorities, and founders of small to medium sized business with 11-50 employees,  who want to move beyond compliance towards consistent, embedded inclusion practice and a strong culture.

Schools and multi-academy trusts are also a part of our work, particularly where leaders are navigating staff confidence, SEND, race equality, and inconsistent practice across teams.

Most engagements begin with a conversation to understand your current context and what is getting in the way of consistent inclusion. From there, we co-create and craft a support structure that might include coaching, training, consultancy, or a combination of all three.

We typically work with leaders over several months and years, rather than delivering a single session, because lasting change needs to be embedded into systems and routines – not just inspired by a good day of training.

No. Training is one tool in the process but it is rarely enough on its own. Alongside facilitated sessions, we offer coaching and, where appropriate, mentoring for individual leaders, consultancy to review policies and systems, and ongoing support to help teams apply what they have learned in real situations.

The goal is always practical, observable change – not awareness for its own sake.

Yes – and this worry is actually a healthy starting point. Many leaders come to us feeling anxious about language, concerned they will cause offence, or unsure how to respond when something happens in their setting.

We work in a way that builds genuine confidence rather than just compliance. Our approach is non-judgmental and grounded in the real situations your team actually faces, so leaders leave with something they can use the following Monday – not just good intentions or vibes.

We do. While longer partnerships tend to produce the most meaningful and lasting change, we understand that organisations sometimes need targeted support for a specific situation, event, policy review, or leadership challenge.

We are happy to talk through what level of involvement makes sense for where you are right now, and what you are trying to achieve. A conversation costs nothing – get in touch and we will be honest about what is likely to help.