Carol was previously Director (Standards & Achievement), in the Children, Families and Education directorate of Kent County Council, leading advisory services for secondary, special and primary schools and for early years and nursery provision.
She was a teacher, advisory teacher and headteacher with the Inner London Education Authority and the London Borough of Croydon, before moving into local government in two contrasting local education authorities. She has significant experience of school organisation and admissions. In West Sussex she was appointed as Assistant Area Education Officer and later as Education Officer for Schools, moving to Kent after eight years to become District Schools Officer for Tunbridge Wells.
Subsequently, she held posts of Principal District Schools Officer, then County Schools Officer before appointment as Assistant Director (School Effectiveness). She has undertaken wide-ranging professional development in Europe and the United States, studying education systems, schools of the future and school design; vocational education and curriculum development; leadership of schools; and commissioning within children’s services.