Wales) Drama Workshop where he studied acting and performance with director Peter Wooldridge alongside contemporaries Jan Anderson and Hollywood star, Ioan Gruffudd. Education career Following graduation with a first-class honours degree and the Aneurin Davies Memorial Award for outstanding academic achievement from Cardiff Metropolitan University (a joint course with Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama) in 1998, Slade embarked on a successful career in teaching culminating in him becoming the youngest state secondary school Headteacher in the United Kingdom in 2007. On appointment, he was just 30 and had only been in teaching for 8 years. In 2012 Slade was appointed by Sir Chris Woodhead to the role of Executive Headteacher with Cognita the largest independent school group in the UK now owned by Jacobs Holding. Slade was responsible for 8 all through schools in the UK. During this time he was also Headmaster of Quinton House School in Northampton. During his tenure GCSE results improved and the pupil roll increased significantly. Slade has made regular contributions to both print and broadcast media on a wide range of educational issues. Furthermore, he has been involved in several pilots for Twofour and Maverick Television including "The Headmaster's Office", "The Drugs Education Show" and he narrowly missed out on being the featured headteacher and school for the original "Educating Essex" series directed by David Clews and featuring Vic Goddard and the students and staff of Passmore's Academy. He also contributed to Channel 5's "50 Greatest Kids TV Shows" (2013) and to a number of other media productions, most recently a radio documentary for BBC Radio Wales with Russell T. Davies and Tim Vincent. Charity Chief Executive In 2015, Slade was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the military ethos education charity SkillForce. Their strap-line, "heroes in schools transforming lives", encapsulated their dual mission, namely to recruit veterans from the British Army, the Royal Navy and the RAF to work as mentors and instructors in schools to inspire young people – particularly the hardest to reach - to develop their confidence, resilience and essential skills for life. The Duke of Cambridge was Royal Patron of SkillForce. Comedian and writer David Walliams OBE, BBC Breakfast's Steph McGovern, Former Chief of the Defence Staff; General The Lord Ramsbotham; Lord Selkirk, Earl Howe and veteran BBC Chief Correspondent Kate Adie OBE were Patrons. Ambassadors included Game of Thrones child star Bella Ramsey and Virgin Radio presenter