Dr Max Coates

Max  worked for 17 years for the Institute of Education,  now part of University College London. During this time he has lectured on leadership, coaching and team development. A significant part of his work has been undertaken in a wide variety of countries which have included; Colombia, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan and the Netherlands. He is also one of the core team delivering the Professional Doctorate at the University of Buckingham. He has a doctorate in education.

He has published a number of books including: Personalising Learning, The Constant Leader, Shaping a New Educational Landscape and It’s Doing My Head In. Additionally, he has contributed to other publications including research into pupil underachievement, the shaping of culture, Artificial Intelligence. In all his writing he never lost his connection with the challenges facing schools and young people. leaders that came through his own 14 years as a secondary headteacher.

Max has been a keen woodturner for many years. Alongside this, is a passionate interest in crafts and heritage crafts in particular. He believes that handcrafted items produced by skilled artisans is an antidote to the often mundane world imposed by mass production. Taking up a craft touches something deep within our humanity and can be the missing piece of the jigsaw of modern fragmented  living.

He is married to Sally a retired practice sister and they have lived in Wimborne for 28 years. They have three grown up sons, two of them live locally with their families.