We connect school leaders, policy-makers, and organisations with an elite network of serving practitioners and leading university academics.
What makes Koinonia Educational different? We are a curated, not-for-profit collective of serving secondary school headteachers, current policy-makers, and leading university professors.
We provide relevant, actionable insights from living the daily challenges of the global education sector. We deliver expert-led public speaking, bespoke research, and executive coaching grounded in current reality, not outdated models.
Our work arose from the Koinonia Schools’ Project, a collaboration of primary, secondary, and international schools. Led by Simon Uttley and based on research-informed practice, this ground-breaking partnership with St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, set a new standard. This reflective, conference-based approach, now in its tenth year, is supported by KE Partners from universities in the UK, US, Poland, Ukraine, and beyond.
At Koinonia Educational, our mission is to gather the best speakers, practitioners, researchers, and coaches for the benefit of the broader education community. As a not-for-profit, we value collaboration, integrity, cultural responsiveness, and a passion for lifelong learning. We are committed to empowering educators and institutions worldwide to thrive and make a lasting impact.
Meet our Director, Simon Uttley. As a serving secondary school Headteacher, Professor of Education at the University of Notre Dame (USA), and Honorary Professor at St Mary’s University, London, his work is at the intersection of practice and academia.
Tailored solutions for educational leaders, delivered by current experts.
Inspiring keynotes, workshops, and seminars from active leaders sharing proven, practical strategies.
Confidential, one-to-one coaching for senior leaders, delivered by experienced and qualified peers.
Custom research solutions from practitioners and academics that deliver actionable, institution-specific insights.
Curated, high-quality resources and expert guidance to support teaching, learning, and policy.
Our network of trusted experts
Senior Associate Director, Notre Dame Global - University of Notre Dame, USA
I am a senior international education professional at the University of Notre Dame, where I have worked in global and international education since 2007. My career has focused on the design, leadership, and administration of mission-driven study-abroad programs, student formation initiatives, and international engagement strategies within a Catholic higher education context.
From 2013-2018, I lived and worked in London as the Director of Student Affairs for Notre Dame’s London Programme, the University’s largest and most distinctive international programme. In this role, which I created, I helped shape the student experience for a large residential academic community of both undergraduate and graduate students, providing leadership in student support, formation, intercultural learning, and programme development. During this period, I created and developed a robust internship and placement programme that became central to student engagement and to the long-term success of the programme, connecting academic study with experiential learning in professional, cultural, and service-oriented settings. It was also an excellent means of forming outstanding partnerships with organisations across the board: government, corporate, churches, schools, the arts, and other service industries.
Across my roles at Notre Dame, my work has consistently bridged institutional mission, global educational practice, and student development. While my position is administrative rather than faculty-based, my professional focus has involved sustained engagement with questions of educational purpose, Catholic identity, and the formative dimensions of international education. This practitioner experience directly informs my current doctoral research on mission and internationalisation in Catholic higher education.
Professor of Catholic Education - St Mary’s University, London, TW1 4SX
BA (Hons) University of Durham)
PGCE (University of Liverpool)
MA in Catholic School Leadership (University of Surrey)
PhD (University of Surrey)
Assistant Headteacher, Salesian School Chertsey
Senior Lecturer St Mary’s University (2002-2015)
Programme Director MA in Catholic School Leadership (2015-2021)
Associate Professor St Mary’s University (2015-2021)
Professor of Catholic Education St Mary’s University (2021)
Professor of Education University of Notre Dame
Visiting Professor Pontifical and Royal University Santo Tomas The Philippines
Catholic School Leadership
Distinctive Religious Charisms
Spiritual Capital
Spiritual & Theological Foundations of Catholic Education
Ethos, Culture and Climate of Catholic Schools
Moral Theology (Ethics)
Chapter in Book
Lydon, J, (2025), Influence, Impact and Opportunity: The Charism of St John Bosco in Robinson, C. & Coll, R. Teaching Charisms in the Catholic Church: lnfluence, lmpact and Opportunity, Singapore, Springer
Chapter in Book
Lydon, J. (2025), The MA in Catholic School Leadership at St Mary’s University: Trajectory in Retrospect in Whittle, S (Editor), Towards a Distinctive and Inclusive Theology of Catholic Education Studies: Critical Reflections on the work of Professor John Sullivan,, Abingdon, Taylor & Francis
Journal Article
Lydon, J, & Glackin M, (2024), Exploring the extent to which ‘spiritual capital’ is impactful in a cross-section of Catholic Independent schools with a founding religious trusteeship in International Studies in Catholic Education, March, Vol. 16, No.1
Chapter in Book
Lydon, J. (2024) Leadership Ideals in the 21st Century: Servant and Christ-Centred Leadership In: Whittle, S & Wodon, Q. (Editor), Leadership Matters in Catholic Education, Singapore, Springer
Journal Article
Lydon, J, (2023), The Perennial Impact of the Salesian Education: a perspective from the UK, International Studies in Catholic Education, Vol. 15, No. 1.
Chapter in Book
Lydon, J. (2023), ‘Leadership Ideals for the 21st Century: Servant and Christ-Centred Leadership’. In: L. Franchi, S. Whittle, S. and Q. Wodon (Ed.) Catholic Education Globally: Challenges and Opportunities, Singapore, Springer
Journal Article
Lydon, J. (forthcoming 2023), Global Compact on Education and Its Implications for the Teacher’s Practice in the Classroom (Curitba Brazil: Marist Brothers Publications).
Chapter in Book
Lydon, J. (2022) The Perennial Impact of Salesian Accompaniment in a Context of Detraditionalisation’. In: E. Conway (Academic Editor) Special Edition of the Journal Religions 2022, Basel: MDPI.
Conference Organiser/ Joint Organiser
1. 2025 GRACE COLLOQUIUM 2025 (St Mary’s University, London) -175 attendees
2. 2022 NfRCE CONFFERENCE 2022 (St Mary’s University, London) -100 attendees
3. 2021 ST MARY’S/ACU CONFERENCE 2021 (St Mary’s University, London) -100 attendees
Professional Bodies/ NGOs
• Distinguished international partner with the Global Researchers Advancing Catholic Education (GRACE) with Australia, Ireland and the United States.
• Member of the Global Catholic Leadership Project in association wth ACU and other International Partners.
• Leader of the Thematic Group on Education of the Forum for Catholic-Inspired NGOs (Vatican Secretariat of State)
• Member of the Steering Committee of the Catholic-Inspired NGO Forum
• Member of the Executive Advisory Group, World Union of Catholic Teachers (Headquarters in The Vatican) Member of the Salesian Schools (UK) Animation Team (Evaluation of Salesian distinctiveness)
• Representative for Roman Catholic Church and member of the Resources Committee, Religious Education Council for England and Wales.
• Member of the Executive, Catholic Association of Teachers, Schools and Colleges for England and Wales
• Member of Catholic Association of Teachers Schools & Colleges Research Committee responsible for awarding research grants
• Member of the Executive Council, Catholic Union of Great Britain
• Chair of the Education and Events Committee, Catholic Union Charitable Trust since October 2018
• International Federation of Catholic Universities (FIUC)
Read the latest analysis and reflections from our Director and network of practitioners.
Join a global network of school leaders and receive expert, evidence-based insights directly to your inbox.
Welcome to the Koinonia Educational (KE) Resource Area. Here, you can access action research and curated educational papers from the KE Partners stable and beyond. Our goal is to support school leaders with high-quality thinking on leadership, faith-based education, and societal challenges.
St Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes is one of the most popular modern saints of the Catholic Church, whose influence extends beyond the Church to include
Simon Uttley One of the really heavyweight philosophical thinkers of the twentieth century was by no means uncontroversial, though the depth of his thinking and
Judy L Hutchinson, University of Notre Dame (USA) & Koinonia Associate Scholar (pdf link available at foot of the article) Across educational systems, few concepts
Whether you are looking for bespoke leadership consultancy, policy guidance, or further insights into our action research, we are here to support you. Please fill out the form below to discuss how Koinonia Educational can empower your institution.
