We offer alternative education consultancy in specific areas of expertise:
Transition to School
We provide Alternative Education Consultancy to settings wishing to transition from AP to registered Independent School status.
Choice-Informed Education
Our Senior Team can consult with settings wishing to become “choice-informed” in their practice and/or gain choice-informed accreditation.
Bespoke Curriculum
We offer consultancy to Alternative Provision and schools looking to create a needs-based programme as an alternative to the National Curriculum.
Our Consultancy Team:

Mike King
CEO & Executive Headteacher
Mike founded Releasing Potential in 2001 after working for many years as a teacher of physical education in mainstream schools. Mike’s vision was to find ways of working with young people who were disengaged from education, through alternative educational models encouraging self-esteem and self-reliance. Since then, Releasing Potential has grown into a much larger charity and is now also a Department-for-Education registered Independent School. Mike’s area of consulting expertise is the transition from Alterative Provision to Independent Special School.

Catherine Brennan
Senior Operations Officer
Catherine’s background is in education, having taught in secondary, tertiary and Higher Education; she has also worked for many years with vulnerable young people in a range of day services and residential programmes. Catherine’s main areas of alternative education consultancy expertise are in safeguarding and Human Resources as well as project leadership. Catherine has overall responsibility for wellbeing across Releasing Potential’s school, outreach and business projects.

Dr Alexandra Gray
Head of Business Development
Dr Gray consults and presents on a range of topics including Alternative Education, choice-informed practice, social pedagogy in education and behaviour management. She has been part of the team responsible for Releasing Potential’s transition from Alternative Provider to Independent Special School, with particular responsibility for student progress. Dr Gray heads up the team at Releasing Potential Institute. As the founder of Learn Trek, she also consults on technology for progress tracking in the alternative education sector.
Telephone consultation
- 20 minute call (free of charge)
- Telephone or online consultation @ £199 per hour additional
Visit to setting hosted by CEO / Exec Head
- Full day visit with CEO / Executive Head Teacher.
- Lunch for up to 4 visitors.
- Copies of standard policies and curriculum documents.
- One hour of additional telephone consultation included.
Visit to setting hosted by Senior Team
- Full day visit including lunch for up to 6 visitors.
- Time with CEO /Executive Head
- Time with Head Teacher / Heads of Centre.
- Time with the Business Development Manager & Senior Operations Officer
- Copies of standard policies and curriculum documents.
- Access to online CPD for up to 6 people.
- One hour additional telephone consultation included.