Built on a passion for education.

Anita Gleave, CEO

Having been blessed to work in Education for almost 40 years, being CEO of QED Schools Group is literally my life’s work! Having been a teacher and Head, I have twenty years of chalk face, lived experience. I moved to the corporate side of Education and Schools in 2008.

I was fortunate indeed to learn from the best taking Director roles at Alpha Plus Group and WCL before being a Founding Director of International Schools Partnership. I started my first schools’ group, Chatsworth Schools in 2018, closely followed by my second – Blenheim Schools during Covid. With my amazing team I grew Chatsworth to 16 schools and nurseries in the UK as well as creating inclusive schools in Dubai and The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

I am regularly asked to speak on a whole range of subjects, internationally and have been fortunate to collect several awards along the way. A serial entrepreneur, I have been fortunate to create many educational vehicles – whether curriculum overlays, development courses and indeed Ladies who LaunchED! the global platform for those of us crazy bonkers enough to dedicate ourselves to seeing education through a new lens.

Having studied at Oxford I was lucky enough to move back to the Cotswold fifteen years ago where I live with the amazing Lettie, my insufferably adorable wire-haired dachshund and her friends.

Those who know me know I love a good quote and this one, I’ve used often, sums up why we are here and what we are about….

“We have to go from what is essentially an industrial model of education, a manufacturing model, which is based on linearity and conformity and batching people. We have to move to a model that is based more on principles of agriculture. We have to recognise that human flourishing is not a mechanical process; it’s an organic process. And you cannot predict the outcome of human development. All you can do, like a farmer, is create the conditions under which they will begin to flourish.” ― Ken Robinson

Mark Mortimer, Director of Education

It is a great pleasure to be the Director of Education at QED Schools Group. The purpose of my role is to support the schools' Heads, senior leadership teams, and staff, and help them deliver the very best education they can to the pupils in our schools. We want to prepare them to go out and make the world a better place.

My educational philosophy is centred on the importance of equipping young people with the skills, attitude and qualities required to thrive and to lead a fulfilling life in the modern world. I am a strong believer in an education based on the values of service, leadership, integrity, curiosity and kindness. We want our pupils to find out what matters to them, what they stand for and how to adopt an approach based on the skills of creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. School should also be good fun!

Expectations should be high and we want our schools to help the pupils discover and develop their interests - in whatever area they may lie - and then encourage and assist them to fulfil their potential in all areas, be that academic, sport, music, drama or something else. These things are never mutually exclusive.

Having studied history at the University of London, I trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and spent eight years as an infantry officer in the British Army before moving into management consultancy. That was a mistake, and I was soon drawn to teaching. I completed a PGCE at the University of Oxford, and later gained an MBA from Henley Business School.

I have been fortunate to work at several fine schools in both England and Scotland, and in a variety of roles, such as Head of History & Politics, Assistant Housemaster, Head of Sixth Form and Deputy Head. From 2014 to 2025, I had the privilege of serving three HMC schools as Head. I now also work part‑time with the Boarding Schools’ Association.

I spent ten years on the HMC Professional Development Committee, served as the HMC Representative to the Armed Forces, was an ISI inspector and a board member of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS).

I am a big believer in seizing opportunities and seeking out adventure and have been lucky enough to take part in some exciting challenges: I have twice rowed across the Atlantic – once in a pair and once solo – completed the Marathon des Sables across the Sahara and cycled through the Arctic Circle.

Pam Mundy, Governor

Pam has spent her career working with schools and communities around the world, helping to shape high‑quality education for children from early years through to secondary. She is an internationally respected educator, author and speaker, known for her work in early childhood development, school improvement and the creation of new schools in regions as varied as Africa, Southeast Asia and the Gulf.

She has supported the development of British and international schools across North America, the Middle East, West Africa and Asia. Alongside her global work, Pam has held senior roles in several international school groups and continues to advise Ministries of Education, accreditation bodies and educational organisations. She serves on a number of UK and international boards and is a founding member of networks that champion women in education leadership.

Mike Abraham, Governor

Mike is a highly experienced educational leader with over 24 years of headship experience, including roles in the Midlands and North of England. He has been involved in various educational initiatives, including launching Yarm Preparatory School, which grew from 0 to 320 pupils over 10 years.

Mike is known for his leadership in turning around struggling schools and has a keen interest in marketing, recruitment, and the management of schools. He is also a member of the National Junior Heads Steering Committee and has led numerous training days across the UK, Canada, USA, and New Zealand.