Kate Frood

Kate Frood retired from primary headship in 2021 after almost four decades of working in primary schools in central London. Her second headship was at Eleanor Palmer Primary in Camden, which became a National Teaching School in 2012. Despite a first degree in English and a master’s in children’s literature, Kate fell into teaching mathematics throughout her two headships, developing a specialism in – and a love of – teaching mathematical reasoning and problem-solving. She taught two weekly maths lessons until her retirement. Throughout her career, Kate has inspired children, teachers and parents to love maths and has taken an uncompromising approach to learning ‘the basics’. Leading action research alongside class teachers and with a constant eye on the classroom, Kate has written books that enliven fluency routines. Since ‘retiring’, Kate works in school improvement across London. She was appointed OBE in 2017 for services to education.