ABLE logo of 2 green and 2 grey squares
ABLE logo of 2 green and 2 grey squares

About Us

Welcome to ABLE! We look forward to working with you!


My name is Alex Blackman and I am the founder of ABLE, the consultancy and supply agency for school leadership support. I have over 30 years experience of working in schools, with a large amount of that in school leadership and as a consultant.

I am a SLE (Specialist Leader in Education) and a qualified headteacher (NPQH) with many years of experience developing school effectiveness. I currently also work in Higher Education, training the next generation of teachers.

I know how stretched a school's leadership team can be and, as a school leader myself, often wished we had the capacity to achieve more - but sometimes you just can't get to everything. Hence, ABLE was born - a flat daily rate for additional leadership support, as often as you need it.

Based near Worthing in West Sussex, we can provide support for schools in the Surrey, Sussex, London and the surrounding areas. As our team grows, we will have even more capacity and diversity in the support we can offer our schools.

Why not get in touch today...

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Thank you for a fantastic staff meeting. So much information for our subject leaders, that really gave them food for thought... cleverly crafted too.

You are an expert in your field.

Kim, Headteacher, following staff leadership development training

I just wanted to say thank you for another excellent INSET day. Once again, you planned and delivered bespoke training based on our areas for school improvement which met and exceeded our expectations.

Justine Chubb, Head of School

Lovely to start the term with such inspirational sessions. I was so grateful and very pleased with all the delivered messages and the engagement from staff. Thank you - you worked so hard I appreciate the fact that you carefully and sensitively delivered all the messages and ignited the enthusiasm again for the job.


I have shifted things around in the staff meeting schedule so this Tuesday I will continue with following up on the agreements for writing straight away. Striking while the iron is hot!

Rachel, Headteacher, following 2 days of INSET

Frequently Asked Questions


Here are some of the answers to our the most commonly asked questions. If your answer isn't here, get in touch...


  • Is there a minimum number of days I can book? No - book as many or as few days as you wish.
  • Do the days need to be consecutive? No - you have the freedom to book days that suit your needs.
  • How much does the service cost? We publish the current daily rate on the home page of our website. If your school involves significant travel, we charge very reasonable travel expenses - there are no hidden costs.
  • Will you work with individuals or with the whole team? You tell us what you need and we will organise this for you. Whether you want an individual member of staff supported, or a days INSET for the team, just let us know during our consultation meeting with you.
  • Can we send support staff on your training courses? Absolutely! Our training is suitable for all those who lead learning in primary classrooms.
  • Do you do anything to help small schools or those struggling with budget constraints? Yes we do - get in touch and we will plan the best way forward together.

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