Mrs Michelle Lawson joined Endeavour MAT as Deputy CEO – Education & Safeguarding in September 2025 having previously been Headteacher at Wilmington Grammar School for Girls since 2019 where she worked to shape and direct the school to ensure that it focused on its moto of ‘Striving for Excellence’.  As a result of this WGSG is a research engaged school, that ensures continued development and growth, both of teachers and students.  She has focused her educational career around instilling in young people a love of learning and a demand to explore the ‘big questions’ that life throws at them.  As a self-confessed philosopher she is never happy with the simple answer and always strives to open up students to the world of alternative possibilities. Mrs Lawson is determined that Wilmington Grammar School for Girls continues to meet the demands of an ever-changing world, by equipping its students with the resilience and determination to overcome life’s obstacles. At the same time supporting them to grow as intellectually independent thinkers capable of coping within an increasingly stressful world. As a member of the National Association of Pastoral Care in Education this underpins all of her work as she believes that the care of the individual results in progress at all levels. Mrs Lawson is the Director of School Improvement for Endeavour MAT which involves her working across all of the Trust schools for a portion of her time each week. Mrs Lawson also sits on SACRE as the Head Teacher representative for Kent, alongside the LIFT Executive for Dartford and is a member of the Initial Teacher Training Education Partnership Group (ITPEG) at Canterbury Christ Church University. As the lead of a research engaged school Mrs Lawson has published and presented on a range of educational research, around interdisciplinary learning and Epistemic Insight.  When not busy philosophising she is often to be found anywhere there is water that she can swim in or planning her next mountain climb.