Celebrating Angelina Idun as she says goodbye to SSAT
13 July 2026
By SSAT
As the summer term draws to a close and plans are made for next year, SSAT is also preparing for change. We are saying goodbye to Angelina Idun, our Director of School Improvement, who will be leaving SSAT after many years of commitment and significant impact across the organisation and the wider education sector.
When Angelina joined SSAT, she brought with her a wealth of leadership experience and ambitious plans shaped by her work in diverse, vibrant and challenging south London schools. Those experiences fuelled her unwavering commitment to doing whatever it takes to ensure that young people are equipped to lead successful lives.
Angelina’s work with SSAT spans many years and several roles. She first joined the organisation in 2009 where she played a significant role in developing our international network, iNet. She supported the delivery of major international conferences as well as contributing to SSAT’s work on student voice and projects linked to the London 2012 Olympics.
Angelina then returned to a school leadership role at Evelyn Grace Academy where she was Senior Vice Principal and Acting Principal. However, her connection with SSAT remained strong and in June 2017 she returned to the organisation as Director of School Improvement.
Over the past nine years, Angelina has played a pivotal role in shaping SSAT’s education offer and has ensured that our work remains firmly focused on improving outcomes for young people, supporting teachers and leaders and advancing educational equity and social justice.
Her influence can be seen across every aspect of SSAT’s educational work. She has led the team through significant achievements – our leadership development programmes have grown, our Embedding Formative Assessment programme proven to improve pupil outcomes, far-reaching school improvement programmes, to name but a few. A qualified ILM Level 7 coach, Angelina has consistently championed high-quality support that enables school leaders and teachers to reflect and improve. This commitment is evident in SSAT’s work on student leadership, attendance, behaviour, equality and inclusion.
Alongside her strategic leadership, Angelina has been responsible for designing and delivering many of SSAT’s most impactful conferences and learning experiences on important themes such as women in leadership, creating anti-racist school communities, disadvantage and inclusion.
Angelina has also represented SSAT on numerous committees, commissions and steering groups, forging valuable partnerships that have strengthened and enriched our work across the education sector.
Beyond her professional achievements, Angelina has been a highly respected leader and colleague. Known for her calm, thoughtful approach and deep sense of integrity, Angelina has excelled at combining strategic thinking with genuine compassion. As a defining feature of her leadership, it has helped shape SSAT’s culture and moral purpose.
Angelina leaves behind a significant legacy. Countless schools have benefitted from her expertise and many individuals across the education sector have been supported and guided through challenging times.
That legacy provides a strong foundation for the next chapter of SSAT’s education work. From September, Keven Bartle will take up the role of Director of Education, building on the work Angelina has led and continuing SSAT’s commitment to supporting schools, developing leaders and improving outcomes for young people.
We will share more about Keven’s vision in the coming weeks. For now, however, our focus is on thanking Angelina for everything she has given to SSAT over the years.
On behalf of everyone at SSAT, we wish Angelina every success and happiness in the future and thank her for the remarkable contribution she has made to our organisation, our network and the wider education community.
