During his tenure as Chief Executive Officer of the fourth largest Multi-Academy Trust in England, John Murphy led the improvement of 45 schools, moving them from special measures or failing status to Good and Outstanding. He successfully established and opened a number of government-funded schools through the Free School route and targeted basic needs routes. With 52 primary and secondary academies serving some of the most disadvantaged communities and a workforce of 5,000 staff, he is proud to have led, grown, and developed one of the UK’s leading academy trusts. John oversaw the growth of the Trust, onboarding 41 of the schools. 

This achievement is underpinned by a unique 36-year career in the education sector, including service as a headteacher across seven schools in the primary, secondary, all-through, and special sectors, including residential SEMH provision. 

As one of the founding CEOs of the newly established National Institute of Teaching, John helped provide the golden thread of teacher development and research across the country. He secured a government contract worth £131 million to deliver a vision of a school system that nurtures the talents of teachers and leaders at all stages of their careers, enabling them to provide children with the world-class education they deserve. 

He is passionate about developing and enabling others, as demonstrated by previous work as a leadership advisor for Future Leaders. John also has particular expertise in behaviour management, having co-authored a best-selling self-help guide for teachers, Why Are You Shouting at Me? 

Active across the education sector, John currently chairs and leads a number of national conferences and courses designed to prepare the next generation of CEOs. He has recently been appointed as the independent Chair of the Blackpool Education Investment Area. 

John now dedicates the next stage of his career to working as a leadership mentor, advisor, and public speaker, using his knowledge, skills, and expertise to support school and trust leaders to succeed across the education sector.