Testimonials

Find out how we’ve helped our clients strengthen their communications & culture

Denham Kite – Headteacher

Over the past ten months, my leadership team at Croft Junior School has worked with Pamela Carpenter from Avandra Learning, using Insights to explore and understand leadership development.

Working with Pam has been transformational for our team and school improvement journey. Her engaging delivery creates an environment where meaningful learning flourishes naturally, whilst her adaptive approach ensures sessions meet our team exactly where we are.

What sets Pam apart is her bespoke design – rather than generic content, she crafts each session around our specific context, challenges, and improvement priorities. Every activity feels purposefully designed for our unique situation.
Most valuable is the reflective space Pam creates for deep self-examination and team reflection. This has led to genuine insights about our leadership styles, team dynamics, and organisational effectiveness, translating directly into clearer, more purposeful next steps.

The outcomes are evident: improved team cohesion, more strategic thinking around school improvement, and enhanced personal effectiveness across all leadership roles. Pam’s expertise has equipped us with both insights and practical tools to drive meaningful change.

I highly recommend Pam Carpenter to any school leadership team seeking professional development that delivers real, lasting impact.

Paul Barnes – Founder – Cloud Accounting Support Services

So we had Pamela Carpenter in from Avandra Learning in to deliver a team training day shaped around “The Power of Personality”.

I’d met Pam at a networking event where she delivered a presentation around Discovery Insights. This sparked an interest in better understanding myself. I met with Pam and not only did I get my own insights profile done (which I’d highly recommend for any leader / manager of people or clients) but we chatted about how this could be delivered to the team at Cloud Accounting Support Services Ltd to help us all understand how to get the best from our internal communications and with our clients.

This led to Pam writing a course for us. Yes we were her first business client, you could say “guinea pigs”. Could she transfer her education-based skills and knowledge into a business environment?

Absolutely she could!

Was there scepticism in the team for a session of this nature? Yes.

The session started with selecting our small world miniature (I chose a lion 🦁) and discussions and insights into how to understand our own “personality” preferences. The session evolved smoothly into playing with playdoh 😂, moving up and down lines of where were we on the scale of…. and lots of post-it notes.

The team were well immersed in the session and positive conversations took place that I didn’t think would ever come out of the session.

Did the session deliver the outcomes I aimed for. In a nutshell, Yes.

I really cannot thank Pamela Carpenter enough for the quality of this session.

And as a little PS. The team have all opted to have the own “Discovery Insights” profile completed, which is testament to how Pam engaged the team and how the team now want to learn more.

Becky Wheeler – Coventry & Central Warwickshire Teaching School Hub

Pam Carpenter is a passionate and dedicated colleague whose commitment to teacher professional development is truly inspiring. As a skilled facilitator of both our NPQ and ECT programmes and in her role as Facilitator Coach for the Teaching School Hub, Pam brings energy, enthusiasm, and deep expertise to every session she leads. Her engaging presentation style makes learning for participants both impactful and enjoyable.

Pam’s unwavering dedication to the well-being of both educators and the students they serve sets her apart. She focuses on creating supportive environments where individuals feel valued, empowered, and motivated to grow. Her caring nature, combined with a sharp focus and tireless work ethic, are qualities which make her an inspiration to work alongside.

Pam Carpenter is more than a facilitator – she’s a catalyst for positive change!

Kirby Dowler – ECF Lead – John Taylor Teaching School Hub

I am delighted to recommend Pam for her outstanding work as an Early Career Framework (ECF) Facilitator, supporting Primary Early Career Teachers (ECTs) across all phases, from Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) through to Key Stage 2 (KS2).

Throughout her role, Pam has consistently demonstrated exceptional professionalism, expertise, and dedication. She brings a deep understanding of pedagogy across the primary phases and is skilled at tailoring her facilitation to meet the diverse needs of ECTs, regardless of their year group or setting.

Her sessions are always well-structured, engaging, and underpinned by current research and best practice. She creates a supportive and reflective learning environment where ECTs feel valued, inspired, and empowered to grow in confidence and capability. It is no surprise that she continually receives highly positive feedback from the ECTs she supports, who frequently comment on her approachable manner, clear communication, and ability to bring theory to life through practical strategies.

I wholeheartedly recommend Pam as an exceptional facilitator and a true asset to any professional development team.

Stacey Jordan – Director – Staffordshire Research School

Pam is a highly valued contributor to our work and an exceptional facilitator. Leaders consistently appreciate her honest approach, deep expertise, and the practical experience she brings into the room.

When Pam delivered at our SEND conference, the feedback was outstanding. She has a unique ability to take complex, abstract ideas – particularly around brain development and behaviour – and make them accessible, meaningful, and actionable for everyone.

Pam is dependable, thoughtful, and always goes above and beyond to ensure delegates get the most from every session. She engages people effortlessly, prompting powerful reflection while creating an environment where learning genuinely sticks. It’s a privilege to hear her speak.

Nathan Morland – Director – John Taylor Teaching School Hub

Pam offers variety and flexibility in her facilitation – always adapting to the needs of providers, audiences, and context – yet she never compromises on aligning her practice with the principles and approved frameworks that underpin truly effective professional development.

Over the past five years, we’ve seen this in action time and again: through consistent delivery of the Early Career Framework, facilitation as an NPQ Visiting Fellow, and her expertise as a Research School Evidence Lead.

Why do we keep inviting Pam back? Because participant feedback is excellent. Pam has an innate ability to connect with those that she works with – Early Career Teachers, senior and system leaders and our own core team. She “gets it” because she’s been there herself, and she brings together experience, logic, empathy, and a healthy dose of pragmatism in everything she does.