Graeme Lawrie, Partnerships Director, ACS International Schools, UK 

Graeme is a qualified teacher and has been teaching for 26 years specialising in Technology, Computing, Electronics and Design. Starting his career at Oakham School as a teacher and house parent in a boarding, he moved to Sevenoaks School in 2006 to take on a Head of Department role. In 2009 he accepted the role of Head of Faculty for Science, developing the largest free Science event in the UK, before progressing to the position of Director of Innovation and Excellence in 2012, which evolved into the role of Director of Outreach and Innovation in 2016. In 2019 Graeme took on the role of Director of Partnerships at ACS International Schools.  

Graeme has held several other roles during his career: working for OCR, AQA and the IB authoring guides, exams and other materials, and a yearlong secondment at Buckingham palace as a Special Advisor in 2015.  

Graeme has been awarded an MBE for his ‘services to education’ as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2020. Graeme received the Lloyds trust teacher of the year in 2005, Pearson Teacher of the year in 2012 and was named by TES as one of the top 5 UK Science teachers in 2014. 

Graeme is passionate about social mobility and increased social capacity through education, and has worked with hundreds of schools, refugee camps and other charities over the last 10 years to give many opportunities to those in less fortunate circumstances. Outside of the school walls Graeme spends most of his down time with his two children Joe and Finn.