
Sophie Harrison-Byrne
What does your role involve?
As Director I lead NSN, making sure that the organisation is running well, so that we can make the biggest impact on the trusts, school leaders and ultimately children that we support.
What inspired you to work in education?
Midwives! Early in my career I did a lot of work with midwives to improve maternal outcomes. Their work on the front line, having a direct impact on people’s lives, inspired me to give up my desk job and become a teacher (no, not a midwife). I qualified as a secondary English teacher in Barnsley, south Yorkshire and the rest, as they say, is history!
What has been your best highlight to date at NSN?
The first free school group I advised at NSN, way back in 2016, was (and remains) an incredibly committed group of parents from Hastings. As parents of children with ASC, they identified a need for better specialist provision in the area. Thanks to the determination of the team the Flagship School finally opened in September 2021 (five years after their journey began). NSN supported this group through the application and pre-open stage and I am so thrilled that the school has finally opened. I am wishing them every success from here on in!