Who we are

Lesley Ravenscroft

As Head of Education for Acumina, Lesley holds overall responsibility for the extensive range of education contracts successfully undertaken by the company, including the development of national tests in England, Saudi Arabia and Wales. 

Lesley has almost 25 years’ experience in the development of curriculum materials and high-stakes assessments in mathematics and other subjects. She is a prolific writer, with a strong reputation for creativity and assessing for understanding.

She fully recognises the demands of education in the real world and is able to develop innovative materials of exceptional quality that engage and excite the learner.

Lesley’s experience and passion for education and learning extend to training adults and to providing consultancy to schools, local authorities, government – and anyone else who needs it!

I love what I do…

“Far too many people are scared of maths, convinced they can’t ‘do it’ when in reality they simply lack the confidence to make the links and apply what they know.
For me, the greatest reward of being a teacher was watching pupils move from ‘can’t’ to ‘can!’”

And what we do now gives me just the same buzz. Developing an assessment item that is original, thought-provoking and has what we in Acumina call the ‘smiley factor’, is just as exciting. As is working with teachers to enhance their assessment skills and in turn influence their teaching.

All of this may be just one small piece in the overall puzzle that is learning, but it is an important one. And I love it!”

Denise Campbell

Denise has over ten years’ test development experience to add to her previous extensive experience in work with children, restorative justice and in training and consultancy for managers in both private and public sectors. 

Denise takes commercial responsibility for Acumina and is a strong proponent of partnership working, ensuring a synergic approach that maximises both effectiveness and outcomes. Together with Laura Kinsey, Business Development Manager, Denise works closely with clients to ensure the smooth and successful delivery of contracts and maintenance of excellent business relationships. She is known for her creativity and solution focus and has an excellent eye for detail. 

She leads on all things training, having developed national training programmes for the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, universities and HM Prison Service and is particularly skilled in communication and people management.

What drives me . . .

“Joining Acumina in 2008 was a big step for me. I had been working in training and change management within youth justice, at local and national levels, and was passionate about enhancing practice both to reduce reoffending and, just as importantly, to improve the lives of young people who commit crime.

So to change to education development was daunting, to say the least!

However, what inspired me to make the move was the opportunity to develop a company that shares my ideals.

I am delighted to have facilitated that development, with new and exciting initiatives that build on my personal areas of expertise.

So now Acumina is immersed in two apparently disparate areas of educational development and work with children, parents and families. However, both have one key factor in common: a passionate belief in peoples’ ability to grow and learn.

Inspiring learning: that’s what drives me and drives our company!”