Potential Plus UK was saddened to hear of the death of Johanna Raffan MBE of a stroke on June 15th, 2021. Johanna was a founding member of NACE – the National Association for Able Children in Education and a key figure in the international education community.
Following the ending of the Schools Gifted Project in 1983, Johanna joined other educators in founding NACE, to support schools in improving provision for more able learners. She was their President in 1990-1995, Founding Director 2000-2011 and at the time of her death was still an active member on their board of trustees.
Johanna was a headteacher for 25 years in nursery, primary and middle schools. She believed in providing young people with high learning potential with more challenging teaching and learning. As an education consultant, she then went on to help schools to develop their provision for more able learners and acted as an advisor for several governments around the world.
Johanna was Secretary 2004-2012 for the European Council for High Ability (ECHA) and was made an Honorary Member of ECHA. She was the UK delegate for the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC), Vice President and Secretary of the former College of Teachers, an Honorary Member of the Chartered College of Teaching, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In 2013 she was awarded an MBE for services to gifted education.
(Image acknowledgements: image logo – NACE – image of Johanna Raffan – ECHA)
