Ms Lisa Foote

About me

I am a School Manager in Education and Childhood at the University of the West of England, working as a core member of the School’s leadership community to enable high‑quality, inclusive student experiences. My role focuses on providing operational assurance, strengthening collaboration across professional services, and supporting the School to deliver its strategic and operational priorities effectively.

I work closely with academic leadership, School teams and University services to ensure that student‑facing processes are clear, reliable and joined‑up. A central part of my role is acting as a trusted connector between the School and professional services - helping translate School priorities into clear requirements, resolving issues before they escalate, and improving ways of working to reduce duplication, rework and operational firefighting.

I bring a strong focus on alignment and continuous improvement: clarifying remit, responsibility and accountability; using data and insight to inform decisions; and supporting consistent practice where it benefits students, while enabling more tailored school‑facing approaches where needed. I am particularly committed to inclusive practice, clear communication, and strengthening confidence and capability across professional services, enabling issues to be addressed effectively at the right level.

My practice is values‑led and student‑centred, grounded in a background in applied social sciences, project and service development, equality, wellbeing and partnership working. Alongside my School role, I contribute to the wider community of School Managers, sharing good practice and supporting collective learning to improve consistency, quality and impact across the university.

Areas of expertise

• Student experience and operational assurance
  Ensuring student‑facing processes are coherent, inclusive and reliable, with a strong focus on smoothing journeys, resolving systemic issues and improving service quality.

• School leadership and collaboration
  Working as an active contributor within School leadership structures, supporting planning, delivery and accountability aligned to School priorities and KPIs.

• Professional services coordination
  Building effective working relationships across Student Administration, Academic Services, Student and Campus Life and other teams to improve responsiveness, clarity and outcomes for students and staff.

• Process improvement and problem‑solving
  Identifying root causes of recurring issues, constructively challenging ways of working, and supporting practical improvements that reduce operational pressure and inefficiency.

• Data‑informed decision making
  Using insight and performance information to inform planning, manage risk, track impact and support positive change in student‑related outcomes.

• Inclusive leadership and communication
  Applying inclusive, solution‑focused approaches that value transparency, wellbeing and collaboration, and empower colleagues to manage operational work confidently and effectively.

• Community of practice and continuous improvement
  Contributing to shared learning, consistency and innovation across School Manager roles, including development of common approaches, tools and good practice.