Working with Matthew does mean work. This is because he invites you and your school into a working relationship with truth and honesty - with what really matters. It's a relationship that deserves time, commitment, and a willingness to take real responsibility. As a school leader, you know deep down where you and your school fall short on promises and guiding statements, which, let's be honest, are almost identical to those proclaimed by the school next door. This work asks you to look at all your data, your signals, even the ones you don't know you're sending, and to look again. See more honestly. Understand more deeply. Ask with rigour. What are you actually doing to, and for your people?This kind of work is not possible without a guide. Matthew sets you on your path and leads you into your unknown so that you can begin to know better. We can carry on pretending, or we can work harder to keep our promises. Matthew is the drive we need to be more honest with ourselves. Because if we’re not, staff, students, and parents lose faith. When the world outside our schools is smashing international promises all day every day, let’s work harder to keep ours.Matthew will help you. He did me.
La Mor | Deputy Head of School | Bavarian International School, Germany
Matthew guided our community with empathy, clarity, and intellectual generosity. He reminded us that belonging is not measured but felt, and that when we notice with curiosity and care, we begin to truly understand the young people we serve. His reflections on antidata and relational epistemics have already sparked meaningful conversations across our teams about what it means to see the whole student. At the beginning of his work with us, Matthew said he didn’t know how impactful this journey would be. A few weeks later, it’s already clear that something has begun within our community, a journey that is changing how we see, think, and connect as educators. The ripple effects will continue to be felt long after the EARCOS weekend workshop ended.
Murdoch Mackay | Assistant Head (School Development) | Dulwich International High School Programme Suzhou, China
We have been fortunate to see first-hand Matthew’s exceptional ability to engage and inspire. While he has a remarkable gift for commanding an audience with his powerful words, what truly sets him apart is his skill in guiding data-driven educators to look beyond the numbers and see the whole child whilst using the data to raise questions. His work with us has gone far deeper than surface-level strategies, leaving a lasting impact on how we think, plan, and act as a school community. Matthew’s passion, eloquence, and genuine dedication have made him an invaluable partner in our journey.
Angela Neal | Assistant Head Teacher - Assessment (Prep) | Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai, UAE
Matthew possesses an exceptional talent for commanding an audience with his powerful words, but what sets him apart is his unique ability to help data-driven individuals move beyond mere numbers to take a holistic look at their students. His impact goes beyond the surface, leaving a permanent mark on the educational landscape. His passion, eloquence, and genuine dedication make him an invaluable asset to any organisation fortunate enough to collaborate with him.
Chris Smith | Smith Visualizations
As a school committed to building a data culture that places students at the center, we are fortunate to be working with Matthew, who is supporting us in developing more human-centered, holistic, and balanced approaches to using and understanding data and assessment. Drawing on examples from science, the social sciences and the arts, Matthew skillfully uses language and metaphor to illuminate the impact of everything we do, and how data and assessment can help us. Our teachers have engaged with Matthew both virtually and in person, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Many have shared their appreciation for his authenticity and his powerful call for warmth and kindness in the ways we try to know, and interact with, both our students and each other.
Leigh Miller | Deputy Head of School | Munich International School
I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Matthew. His warmth, empathy, and humour are crucial to his work, and the feedback speaks for itself. Parents gave his keynote talk 100% positive feedback. Our inclusion team left feeling energised and refocused. Middle leaders reported deep engagement and greater clarity after their session. Matthew doesn’t just promote wellbeing; he embodies it and inspires it in others.
David Shaw | Deputy Head of School | Hiba Academy Shanghai, China
Working with Matthew allowed us to view our school’s vision and values through a new lens. He affirmed our strengths while challenging us to notice more, listen longer and stay attentive to the stories behind the numbers. The result is a renewed sense of purpose: clearer focus, shared language, and a deeper commitment to making every learner feel known. This shifted how we view assessment, not as a verdict, but as a starting point for meaningful conversations. Through his facilitation, we were encouraged to replace labels with listening and to build richer, more student-centred dialogues.
Stephen Quinn | Principal | Horizon International School, UAE
We were honoured to experience exceptional professional development led expertly by Matthew on 'The Warm Why of Data'. His expertise and experiences, both personal and professional, inspired, touched, challenged and empowered our team to place wellbeing at the centre of all we do. Through a variety of engaging activities, parents, students and staff were coached by Matthew to deepen our understanding of what wellbeing really means to us and whether we are authentically living this through school life. The impact of Matthew’s work has ignited many significant conversations and we look forward to continuing a long and meaningful relationship with him for the future.
Daisy Rana | Head of School | RP Goenka International School, Kolkata, India (formerly Head of School | HIXS, Gurgaon)
Matthew is a consummate professional and always easy to collaborate with. His focus is on student wellbeing, and he uses his personal story to illustrate this in a really powerful way. Data is considered by many to be a cold topic, but Matthew gives it humanity.
Justin Hardman | Co-Founder & Director | 21st Century Learning
Working with Matthew at the International School Rheintal was a genuinely impactful experience for our entire community. His ability to create space for honest dialogue among parents, students, and staff was exceptional, fostering both vulnerability and trust. Through his work with The Mona Lisa Effect®, Matthew translates complex ideas around belonging, inclusion, and universal design into practical, meaningful action. The result is not just reflection, but real momentum for change. His work leaves a lasting impression on both individuals and the wider school culture.
Oliver Beck | Head of Senior School | International School Rheintal, Switzerland
Matthew has been a partner and friend to inquiring professional minds at NIS for many years now as we ponder how to unlock and release the potential, joy and passions of each learner. Whenever I see a picture of Mona Lisa these days, I see our kids….each of them a unique individual waiting for us to open up the doors of learning to them…and this is thanks to the inquiry Matthew has helped us embark upon.
Matthew Parr | Head of School | Nagoya International School, Japan
Matthew’s drive and determination to share his passion for data and its use to personalise learning is infectious. Sometimes in life you meet people who can help you understand things through completely different lenses. Matthew is one of those people.
Ian Plant | Founders Strategy Leader | GEMS Founders School Cluster, UAE
Matthew’s passion for his work is infectious; his articulate, deep and determined commitment to making the world a better place through education shines through in all that he does, whether as a speaker, a trainer, a coach or as a thought partner for schools. Humble yet unswerving in his relentless focus on people-centred education, Matthew enables people to grow and change. It is a privilege to work with him.
Dr Helen Wright | Board Chair, International Education Advisor, Executive Leadership Coach
Matthew challenged us to think differently about what truly matters in education. He was provocative, insightful, and deeply compelling, particularly in his insistence that warm data must be central to how we build belonging, trust, and relational intelligence in our school. Through his framing of data as story rather than scoreboard, he helped us move beyond surface metrics and see the hidden, vulnerable, relational threads in our student and staff lives. Matthew doesn’t hand you answers. Instead, he provokes you to discover them. We are grateful for his thought partnership and look forward to continuing this journey of embedding warm, relational knowing into our culture. Without reservation, I recommend him to any school committed to transforming data, wellbeing, and belonging from the inside out.
Dr. John Switzer | Upper School Principal | Frankfurt International School, Germany
Matthew’s emphasis on elevating marginalised voices has been pivotal in directing our schoolwide initiatives. By guiding us to consider diverse perspectives in our planning processes, Matthew's work has helped us create more inclusive and empathetic policies and programs. His dedication to equity has not only improved student wellbeing but also strengthened our community's commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Kim Criens | Director of Student Life and Co-Curricular Programs | Singapore American School, Singapore
I couldn't recommend working with Matthew highly enough. He doesn't give us the answers but challenges us to find our own pathway within the individual contexts of our different campuses, acting as a critical friend. His work is research-informed and grounded in strong evidence, supporting us on the next steps of our journey as a school.
Helen Olds | Director | British International School Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (formerly Director of Schools, British International School Riyadh)
Matthew’s is not a plug-n-play approach to educational reform, but his insight and warmth lived up to the hype. Your team may not walk away with tangible tools to implement tomorrow. However, if you are interested in starting a journey – one that is deeply introspective, and where provocative questions give rise to contextually relevant ways to ensure unconditional belonging, and the data paradigm to measure it – then you have come to the right place. A one day, in-house PD has already morphed into a year-long thought partnership with a newly established Data Cadre – a coalition of the willing – who will develop new ways to hear the unheard stories in our school.
Dr Kyle Coppes | Secondary Principal | Metropolitan School Frankfurt, Germany
Matthew is a man on a mission to change mindsets and cause paradigm shifts in how schools approach education. By emphasising the measurement of what truly matters, he empowers us to look at data through different lenses. He exhorts us to piece together the unseen, the invisible and the silent parts of the story of every child in our care. Learning from and with Matthew has caused my brain to rewire, to see beyond the invisible, and to look underneath the mask we and our students all wear.
Priya Ramteke | Head of Learning | Nita Mukesh Ambani Junior School, India (formerly Head of Middle School, Oberoi International School)
Engaging, inspiring and deeply thought-provoking, Matthew's training is first class. Matthew shared with us his wisdom and passion for ensuring all feel a sense of belonging and inclusion when collecting and handling data. Matthew manages to meet what is a delicate balance of vulnerability and the academic, basing his entire approach on personal experience and boundless research. The result is that others are inclined to look inwardly, making the sessions meaningful and incredibly powerful. Everyone will enjoy their time with Matthew. He is articulate and sincere, mixing humour with challenge in a way that encourages a new way of perceiving one's own purpose - and with practical tips to tackle the unknown. People leave Matthew's sessions renewed and encouraged to make a difference.
Rupert Hawkins | Head | Thomas's Battersea, UK
I have been consistently impressed by Matthew's revolutionary take on student data. His holistic approach is not just about numbers; it's about stories, about every student's journey. Watching Matthew present is truly captivating; he effortlessly demystifies complex topics, making them relatable and digestible. His contributions are vital for educators and institutions aiming to create nurturing, inclusive educational spaces.
Leisa Grace Wilson | Editorial Director | Teach Middle East Magazine
Working with Matthew is a real game changer for international schools. His unwavering commitment to ensuring that every child, without condition or exception, be seen, be heard, be known and belong is inspirational. He has the unique ability to interweave the complexities of whole school data with individual student stories. His intelligence, attention to detail and ability profoundly to impact staff and students alike make him a joy to work alongside.
Sara Thomas | Assistant Head of School - Wellbeing | ACS International School Cobham, UK
Matthew’s dedication to making data relatable and human has inspired me to view our educational challenges through a new lens, emphasising empathy, understanding, and the individual needs of each student. He has encouraged us to embrace a more holistic view, where academic achievements are balanced with the psychological and emotional wellbeing of our students - a call to action that has galvanised our faculty and staff. His influence on our school will be felt for years to come.
Wolfgang Soeldner | ICT Campus Partner | Ecole Internationale de Genève, Switzerland
Matthew stretched and challenged our thinking about what constitutes data in our context. His workshops are engaging, thought-provoking and at the forefront of current thinking and ideas in education.
Katie Wellbrook | Vice Principal | St Joseph’s Institution International, Singapore
Matthew has delivered conference sessions and training on a range of topics for our international school audience – data, wellbeing, inclusion, belonging, leadership – drawing on his personal and professional experience and expertise. To all he does, he brings passion, compassion, authority, and generosity, and consistently demonstrates his commitment to ensuring all children and young people thrive.
Dr Fiona Rogers | Deputy CEO | COBIS, UK
Matthew has been a regular contributor to International Teacher Magazine almost since we started publication in 2015. Sometimes challenging, he is always interesting and engaging. Matthew draws on his huge range of educational experience to write with real authority about an impressive spectrum of educational topics, from governance and identity to data management and equity. At the heart of his work is a deep commitment to the needs of young people and how the grown ups in their world can learn to understand them in a way that will bring out the best in them both.
Andy Homden | Editor | International Teacher Magazine
Matthew is an exceptional and inspiring educator and advocate, who is making a positive impact in our world. His authentic commitment to equity and justice is commendable, ensuring every voice is heard and valued, and he cocreates innovative solutions that contribute to individual and community growth. My experience working with Matthew has been transformative.
Dr Ann Marie Luce | (formerly) Associate Director | Centennial Center for Leadership, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, USA
I have worked with Matthew on various projects over the years and sought his expertise and advice in many areas. Despite his humility, Matthew is a breed apart in terms of his knowledge, insight, and passion for inclusive and holistic education and wellbeing. He is a captivating public-speaker and always delivers a punchy message. And I know that schools who have invited him to speak with their staff and students have found his training transformational.
Edward Clark | Executive Director | LSC Education
Matthew's deep understanding of how data intersects with wellbeing is enlightening. Both during our time together at the ‘Data in Schools’ conference and during our conversation for my Learning Explorations podcast, his ability to explain complex data-related concepts and their impact on student and teacher wellbeing was both insightful and thought-provoking. I highly recommend Matthew for his expertise and his ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity and relevance.
Emily Murphy | Senior PD Lead | Nord Anglia Education
Matthew and I met through BSME and, having connected and realised how aligned our vision and values were, we stayed in touch. He has contributed regularly to the #DiverseEd community as a blogger and as a speaker and trainer at our virtual events. He is also a chapter author in our book, Diverse Educators: A Manifesto. He is an inclusive educator, leader and ally, and an advocate for belonging for all.
Hannah Wilson | Leadership Development Consultant | Founder of The Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators)