Interim Programme Development and Scale-up Lead
Amy Ellis-Thompson
She/TheyAmy is a Senior Programme Manager who specialises in scale-up, and leads the EEF’s work on education technology (EdTech).
Isaac Thornton
Evaluation Manager
•He/HimIsaac manages robust evaluations of EEF-funded projects, with a particular focus on pilot evaluations.
Isaac joined the EEF’s Programme Development and Scale-up Team in March 2026. As an Evaluation Manager, Isaac is responsible for commissioning and supporting robust evaluations of educational interventions. He leads the EEF’s approach to pilots, which are smaller-scale, mixed methods evaluations conducted earlier the EEF’s evidence pipeline.
Prior to joining the EEF, Isaac completed a PhD at the University of Brighton, using mixed methods to explore social exclusion and resilience among international students. There, Isaac also taught across modules in psychology, social science, and research methods. Before that, he was a Senior Researcher at NatCen, working on various evaluation projects.
Head of Programme Development and Scale-up
Amy Clark (on maternity leave)
She/HerAmy leads the Programme Development and Scale-up team.
Senior Programme Manager
Sarah Dobie
She/HerSarah is a Senior Programme Manager managing a range of EEF-funded projects, and specialises in EEF’s early-stage programme development work.
Programme Manager
Rida Zafar
Rida is a Programme Manager managing a range of EEF-funded projects, and leads the EEF programmes work in secondary maths.
Programme Manager
Tara Human
Tara is a Programme Manager and manages a range of EEF-funded projects, with a focus on scale-up.
Programme Manager
Jo Wolf
Jo is a Programme Manager managing a range of EEF-funded projects, and leads the EEF programmes work in tutoring.
Senior Evaluation Manager
Ignacia Valenzuela
She/HerIgnacia manages robust evaluations of EEF-funded projects and leads the EEF’s approach to scale-up evaluations.
Evaluation Manager
Isaac Thornton
He/HimIsaac manages robust evaluations of EEF-funded projects, with a particular focus on pilot evaluations.
Programme Officer
Amber Batstone-Carr
Amber supports the delivery and coordination of impactful programmes across the organisation.