Alistair Smith has been described as the UK’s leading trainer in modern learning methods. Having delivered well over 1,500 training and development events, he is certainly one of the most experienced developers around. His popularity has been built around his exceptional presentation and facilitation skills. Practical and thorough, he brings an understanding of the ‘science’ of learning to the ‘art’ of teaching. He models the methods he promotes.
Alistair is unique in working in prominent roles across three different sectors: education, professional sport and technology. An author of best-selling books including books on learning, brain development and the culture of high performing schools, he also directs and produces high quality video.
For ten years Alistair was chair of Alite Ltd, a company which was at the forefront of developing learning in schools. During this time he collaborated with schools and other developers to produce a radical and successful approach to learning to learn, a well-being programme and a curriculum design model.
Alistair is also an Education Director for Frog Education Ltd. Frog are one of the worlds most successful providers of virtual learning environments and Alistair’s part-time role is to help shape product design and implementation. With his help Frog products are now being built from proven learning principles.
For over fifteen years Alistair has been the designated learning consultant to the Football Association. He helped design and deliver the worlds’ first Elite Coaches course, directed their UEFA Pro Licence towards a competency based approach and authored a Develop the Developers programme. The work with the FA has impacted on each of the 30,000 members of the Licensed Coaches Club.
In his spare time he loves to do more of the above especially if he can run around as he does so. He also likes real ale and real pubs, loud bands and snow on the hill tops. He is an exiled Scot.
“Through his work with teachers in our school his thumbprint is all over thousands of lesson plans delivered to thousands of students and we continue to rely on Alistair as a principle lever in school and teacher improvement.“Deputy Head Teacher, Secondary School
” Alistair has been identified by us as being the leading national figure who has the skills, knowledge and capacity to guide us through the difficulties we are currently experiencing in delivering our ideas. To date he has galvanised a group of our staff to form a cohesive research and development team and is just about to launch with that team a framework for taking the school forward. This work is critical to the success of the school.” Head Teacher Secondary School
“Due to the range and experience of the educational context that Alistair brings to this work, his innovation and thinking as well as his understanding and knowledge of the coaching methodology used to move staff forward in their practice Alistair is essential to the work that we are doing.” Education Officer, Primary Research Project
“One of a tiny handful of ‘freethinkers’ and ‘influential visionaries’ … who push the boundaries” Channel 4 Television, UK
“The guru of acceleration” Times Educational Supplement, UK
“Never speak after him at a conference…” Professor Sir Tim Brighouse
“A key player in developing a fresh approach to the game and how its coached” Sir Trevor Brooking
“The nice man who asked us lots of questions” Selina, aged 6
