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Consultancy, coaching and training on all aspects of English and literacy, with a focus on using rich text and powerful dialogic pedagogy.
We work with schools to develop excellence through carefully managed and supported change, and with high aspirations for all children.
Just Imagine was established 15 years ago to support school leaders and teachers in developing aspirational English and literacy teaching. Drawing on founder Nikki Gamble’s experience as a teacher, university lecturer and action researcher, Just Imagine puts high-quality text and powerful dialogic practice at the heart of its approach.
We work alongside school leaders, teachers and students to identify needs, support strategic implementation and review impact. Our aim is to build capacity in schools for long-term and sustained growth.
We promote a granular approach in which the different components of reading coalesce in meaningful contexts, rather than an atomistic one
Our consultancy has over 30 years of experience in delivering high-quality training across the UK and internationally.
A highly experienced consultancy team with expertise in different areas of English and education settings.
Involvement at the organisational level in national and international subject and professional associations.
Adaptive to your needs and context, yet always underpinned by a rigorous approach with children’s learning and wellbeing at the heart.
“Our greater depth results have never been so high, and I know this is down to ‘Take One Book’ and the ‘Reading Gladiators’ – programmes that are planned and provided by this amazing company.〞Our Team
Our methods of working with leadership teams and teachers reflect the pedagogy that we cultivate in classrooms.
Nikki Gamble
Nikki Gamble is the Director of Just Imagine. A former secondary and primary school teacher and university lecturer with over 40 years’ experience, she is the author of Exploring Children’s Literature, now in its fourth edition (Sage, 2019) and co-author of Guiding Readers, winner of the UKLA Academic Book Award (UCL, 2016). She is currently writing a new book about the use of nonfiction in the primary curriculum.
David Reedy
David Reedy was formerly the Principal Adviser for primary schools in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. He is a past President of the UKLA (United Kingdom Literacy Association) and was the Co-Director of the Cambridge Review of the Primary Curriculum; he was also the Principal Adviser leading the Scottish Government’s Independent Review of the Scottish National Standardised Assessment. David’s most recent publication is Teaching Primary English: Subject Knowledge and Classroom Practice (2nd ed., Routledge 2024)
Angela Jenkins
Angela Jenkins is a local authority adviser with extensive experience of the English curriculum, teaching and assessment. She has worked as a school/trust leader. She is the current chair of the National Association of Advisers in English (NAAE) and the primary phase Moderation Manager for three local authorities.
Jo Castro
Jo Castro has worked in education for over twenty years as a teacher and assistant head teacher. She is a qualified leadership coach and brings her coaching experience and skills to her work with Just Imagine.
Helen Morgan
Helen Morgan is an experienced teacher and Reading Lead for her trust. She has been involved with the OU/UKLA Teachers Reading groups.
Soofia Amin
Soofia Amin is the Multilingual Lead at Tapscott Learning Trust. She is actively involved in action research focused on changing how schools think about multilingualism and supporting them in implementing practical strategies to support all children.
Laura Spargo
Laura is an experienced teacher and has who has taught in the UK, Spain and Dubai. She has a keen interest in Reading for Pleasure and has presented at conferences and run workshops on all aspects of literacy.
Richard Charlesworth
An experienced teacher and assistant headteacher, working in schools across London. Richard graduated with a Master’s degree in Children’s Literature from Goldsmiths. He is passionate about creativity in English and about a curriculum built on research insights.