Expert advice. Empowered actions.

Expert guidance and support for education leaders

Expert advice. Empowered actions.

Expert guidance and support for education leaders

Hugh Chandler MA(Ed) - Founder and CEO

Hugh has over thirty years' experience working in a variety of leadership roles and settings across the education sector, for both schools and local authorities. He has held senior roles for a number of national MATs since 2012, specialising in attendance, behaviour, curriculum, inclusion, pupil premium, safeguarding, SEND and sixth form. He has successfully secured measurable school improvement, helped schools move out of special measures, supported them through the RISE process and secured strong standards. He has always been committed to improving the life chances and positive outcomes for all young people by adopting an inclusive and values based approach to education.

In 2025 Hugh launched Custodia Education Services to share his experience and empower leaders to improve standards and break the link between background and success. Custodia acts as a trusted partner for school leaders, governors and parents, providing expert consultancy to create customised solutions that ensure effective leadership, measurable student outcomes and strong parental engagement. While Custodia and its partners work mostly with schools in Surrey, they also provide both onsite and remote support across England.

We offer a range of services, in person or online

School Improvement

Safeguarding Audits & Training

Attendance and Inclusion

In the evolving inspection landscape, we act as a critical friend helping schools move beyond simple compliance toward sustainable excellence.

We provide a safe environment for leaders to test their systems before the "real" inspection occurs.

We provide objective, external evaluation through learning walks, subject specific deep dives, lesson observations and pupil conversations.

We support leaders to design school improvement plans, achieve SEF/SDP alignment and ensure that their self-assessment is robust.

We ensure that the school website meets all statutory requirements.

We help with curriculum design and mapping, advising on how it can be adapted for pupils with SEND or for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Attendance and Inclusion

Safeguarding Audits & Training

Attendance and Inclusion

We provide strategic guidance, practical support and specialist expertise to help schools and local authorities significantly improve school attendance.

We conduct evidence based reviews of your data and current practice to develop a cohesive strategy to create a whole-school attendance culture around a tiered intervention model.

We provide policy and compliance guidance as well as staff training on role clarity, effective data monitoring, relational approaches and understanding barriers to build capacity.

We also provide casework consultation to implement multi-agency support.

Safeguarding Audits & Training

We provide expert, independent support to schools on safeguarding, ensuring that your systems, policies, and culture are robust, compliant with statutory guidance and focused on the best outcomes for children.

We undertake thorough reviews of policies and procedures, the SCR, case file audits and school risk assessments.

We also deliver up-to-date training to meet your school's needs, tailored for safeguarding staff, whole-staff and governors. We help to embed a truly effective safeguarding culture by helping schools to understand contextual safeguarding, review stakeholder voice and prioritised action planning.

Leadership Coaching

Parental Advocacy & School Liaison

Safeguarding Audits & Training

Our coaching facilitates transformational growth for the individual, their team and the organisation.

We establish a personalised partnership and structured process to enhance personal effectiveness, self-awareness and overall impact within an organisation.

We use active listening, powerful questioning and objective feedback to help leaders achieve sustainable behavioural change, clarity around their professional goals, and sharpen their strategic thinking and practise new behaviours.

Safeguarding Supervision

Parental Advocacy & School Liaison

Our experience led safeguarding supervision provides management oversight to ensure competent, ethical practice through accountability, quality assurance, workload management and agency compliance.

We support DSLs with the emotional impact of social work, aiming to maintain their well-being and professional resilience. We also focus on professional development, enhancing knowledge of safeguarding issues, skills, and reflective practice.

Parental Advocacy & School Liaison

We provide parents with the knowledge and support needed to confidently engage with schools, local authorities and other agencies by offering impartial guidance and practical support.

We also support schools by acting as a neutral third-party mediator where the relationship with home has broken down. We help to de-escalate tensions, rebuild a functional partnership and shift the focus back to the best interests of the child. We can upskill staff to review how they communicate, manage difficult conversations and adopt a restorative approach.

What our partners say about us

School Improvement

Leadership Development

"In a period of significant transition for the sector, Hugh’s significant experience of a range of leadership roles across the six inspection areas, has been the grounding for a more strategic and unified approach to school improvement. Rather than just preparing schools for an inspection, he has helped them to use the new 'Report Card' structure as a genuine tool for self-evaluation. With Custodia, the process never feels like something 'done to' schools, rather it is a collaborative journey that has left middle leaders feeling empowered and senior teams with greater roll clarity, capacity and confidence. He helps schools develop clear evidence-based narratives about their journey, and I cannot recommend Custodia Education Services highly enough to any leader looking to drive authentic, sustainable improvement."

CEO, Smart MAT

Leadership Development

"Hugh has consistently demonstrated an exceptional depth of experience within the education sector. His knowledge is extensive, well informed and grounded in practical, real world experience, allowing him to offer insightful, effective and thoughtful guidance. Beyond his professional expertise, Hugh is approachable, patient and an excellent communicator, making him someone people feel comfortable engaging with and seeking advice from. He listens carefully and responds with clarity. He always treats others with respect and consideration, and combines his warm and personable nature with a high level of professionalism. He is reliable, ethical and committed to maintaining the highest standards in his work."

Principal, Young Education Services, Greenwich

Safeguarding

Leadership Development

Inclusion & Community

"Hugh is an accomplished leader of safeguarding with much knowledge and experience. It is a strength...that the management of the change in children's lives is so well understood and supported."

Safeguarding Network

Inclusion & Community

"You work tirelessly and selflessly to put the interest of our students and community before your own. Your work on safeguarding is exemplary."

Governor

Burton Borough School

Curriculum

Inclusion & Community

Organisational impact

"You have successfully redesigned the curriculum to make sure that the precise knowledge you want pupils to know is ordered sensibly. This work is already helping teachers to design lessons that closely align with the intended curriculum"

HMI, Ofsted

Organisational impact

Inclusion & Community

Organisational impact

"Your dedication to the Council and to public service has not only contributed to our success as an organisation, but has also enabled us to continue making a positive difference to the lives of our residents."

Chief Executive and Leader,

Telford and Wrekin Council.

Expert advice. Empowered actions.

Expert advice. Empowered actions.

Hugh Chandler MA(Ed) - Founder and CEO

We offer a range of services, in person or online

School Improvement

Safeguarding Audits & Training

Attendance and Inclusion

Attendance and Inclusion

Safeguarding Audits & Training

Attendance and Inclusion

Safeguarding Audits & Training

Safeguarding Audits & Training

Safeguarding Audits & Training

Leadership Coaching

Parental Advocacy & School Liaison

Safeguarding Audits & Training

Safeguarding Supervision

Parental Advocacy & School Liaison

Parental Advocacy & School Liaison

Parental Advocacy & School Liaison

Parental Advocacy & School Liaison

Parental Advocacy & School Liaison

What our partners say about us

School Improvement

Leadership Development

Leadership Development

Leadership Development

Leadership Development

Leadership Development

Safeguarding

Leadership Development

Inclusion & Community

Inclusion & Community

Inclusion & Community

Inclusion & Community

Curriculum

Inclusion & Community

Organisational impact

Organisational impact

Inclusion & Community

Organisational impact

Contact Custodia Education Services

How can I help?

Hours

Get In Touch

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