Alun’s degree is in Zoology (BA, Cantab, 1980) and he planned to train as a science teacher. However, the opportunity to study for a PhD in Comparative Endocrinology (Hull, 1987) delayed that intention. Entering the profession while still writing up his thesis his teaching career took him from large comprehensives in Northumberland and Harrogate to the Headship of Boston Spa School in Leeds. While at Boston Spa he was founding chair of the North-East Leeds Area Inclusion Partnership, became a National College Consultant Leader, and supported the Youth Sports Trust as a headteacher consultant to the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games.
He was subsequently seconded to set up one of the first Virtual Schools for Looked After Children in Leeds. As Yorkshire and Humberside’s representative to the National Association of Virtual School Heads’ (NAVSH) pre-cursor body, he was a member of the DfE’s Ministerial Expert Group of Virtual Schools. Before leaving Leeds in 2014 he graduated from the regional ADCS Leadership Programme and extended the principles of a Virtual School to the (sadly unsustainable at the time) ‘Leeds Virtual College for Vulnerable Children’ with a roll of some 8000 children with a social worker or at risk of exclusion..
After Leeds he took up a six month visiting practitioner ‘fellowship’ within the Rees Centre, at the University of Oxford, where he wrote ‘The Virtual School Handbook’. This remains the foundational text on ways to meet the duties of a Virtual School Head. While continuing his association with the Rees team he has supported 10 different local authorities across England as interim Virtual School Head &/or with their broader inclusion work. He has also provided policy support for NAVSH and supported school staff and senior teams to better understand, and mitigate, the impacts on children and young people of unmet attachment needs, adverse childhood experiences, and broader trauma and loss.
Publications
Rees, A, etal (1984 – 1987), a number of peer reviewed papers related to the ‘The Adrenal Response to Exercise in Avian Species’, PhD Thesis (Hull).
Rees, A. (2014, updated 2018), ‘The Virtual School Handbook’, Rees Centre, University of Oxford & NAVSH. Available here.
Sebba, J., Luke, N., Rees, A., Plumridge, G., Rodgers, L., Hafesji, K., Rowsome-Smith, C., Samantha McDermid, S. and Trivedi, H. (2016), ‘Evaluation of the London Fostering Achievement Programme’, London Schools Excellence Fund – Children in Care. Available here.
Rees, A., Luke, N., Sebba, J., and McNeish, D. (2017), ‘Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme, Thematic Report 2 – Adolescent service change and the edge of care’, DfE.
Sebba, J., Luke, N., Rees, A. and McNeish, D. (2017), ‘Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme, Thematic Report 4 – Systemic conditions for innovation in children’s social care, DfE.
Sebba, J., Luke, N., McNeish, D. and Rees, A. (2017), ‘Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme – Final evaluation report’, DfE
Tawell, A., Brown, A., Rees, A., Moreno Silva, T., Froustis, E., Luke, N., Selwyn, J., Duckworth, K. and Feinstein, L. (2025), ‘Evaluation of the Extension of Virtual School Heads’ Duties to Children with a Social Worker – Final report’, DfE, Available here.
Hyde-Dryden, G., Andersen, E., Peach, B., McDowell, A., de Souza, C., Rees, A., Wigley, M., Luke, N., Brown, A., Feinstein, L. and Boxford, S. (2026), ‘Pupil Premium Plus Post-16 evaluation – Final report’, DfE. Available here.