Jennifer Owen Adams is Director of Teach First Cymru Wales. She leads a team who work in partnership with the University sector and schools across Wales to challenge the status quo in Wales’ education system and to make a nation changing contribution to addressing the impact of poverty on educational attainment and achievement in Wales.
Jennifer has worked in secondary, further and higher education either as a teacher, lecturer or manager for over 25 years. She graduated from Loughborough University with a degree in Physical Education, Sports Science and Geography, has an MSc in Education Management and is a Fellow of the RSA. During the last 10 years she was Education and Policy Director and Deputy Chief Executive of the British Dyslexia Association. Prior to her appointment as Director of Teach First Cymru Wales Jennifer was Head of Schools Transformation at Powys County Council and led the authority’s schools transformation programme looking specifically at aligning the school improvement and school re-organisation agendas.
Jennifer has been involved in education throughout her professional career, always fighting for the needs of those who are on the margins of society through no fault of their own. With educational inequality as stark as it is in Wales, Jennifer believes that transformational change is imperative. She believes in building a coalition of support and momentum with like minded individuals and organisations in Wales around the vision to end educational inequality and that a relentless focus on that mission is fundamental to improving the life chances of so many of the nation’s children and young people.
In her spare time, Jennifer pursues her passion for the outdoors. Where possible, she takes on leadership roles within her local community to help build its resilience and sustainability. Her latest voluntary role is as Chair of Powys Dance, a recently established charity whose ambition is to get more people dancing.