We are an independent consultancy specialising in curriculum and leadership support.
Adhara was founded by Bennie Kara and Emma Swift. We strongly believe that quality training and consultancy has to be delivered by those who have recent and extensive experience in the required field of expertise. We are both passionate about authenticity in providing guidance and support.
Bennie Kara
Bennie Kara is a former deputy headteacher in the East Midland. During her years in school leadership, she specialised in curriculum, teaching and learning. She started her career in the inaugural cohort of Teach First in 2003, teaching English in East London.
Since then, she has taught in four London boroughs and in South Oxfordshire, before her return to the Midlands to teach in Derby. She co-founded Diverse Educators in 2017.
Bennie now speaks, writes and trains on leadership of the curriculum. Alongside supporting schools to develop their curriculum, she is the author of ‘A Little Guide for Teachers: Diversity in Schools’ (Sage Education). She has written on the subject of diversity in the curriculum for publications such as Schools Week and the Chartered College of Teaching’s Education Exchange, as well as contributing to many books by educators.
She is a nationally and internationally recognised keynote speaker. Her second book, ‘Diverse Educators: A Manifesto’, a co-edited book with her Diverse Educators co-founder, Hannah Wilson, was published in April 2022.
Bennie is a qualified coach with RLE accreditation, with a special interest in leadership coaching for middle leaders.
Notable awards:
2020: Joan Goody Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity (NATE)
2022: Sage Social Justice Book Award (Sage Education)
Emma Swift
Emma Swift is a trust wide subject lead for a multi academy trust, specialising in science and ITT. She started her career in the East Midlands in 2002, before moving to London holding a variety of roles in senior leadership, before returning to Derby.
Emma is the subject lead for Physics for the National Institute of Teaching and Education at the University of Coventry. She speaks at a number of different events about science, curriculum and diversity, alongside supporting schools to raise outcomes and build capacity through staff development and curriculum design. Emma was awarded The Lloyds Register Educational Trust award for the UK’s best STEM teacher in 2012.