Integrity
We believe in honesty, transparency and accountability. We are open about what we can and cannot deliver, communicate challenges as they arise and work with our clients to find solutions.
About us
Bringing expertise, education and opportunity together
At Combinative Education, our name reflects our philosophy: bringing together different elements to create solutions that meet individual needs. Through Combinative Collective and Combinative Consultancy, we combine flexible educational provision, specialist expertise and innovative approaches to support learners, families, professionals and organisations.
Our story
Why I started Combinative Education
My career in education has taken me across three continents (North America, the Middle East and the United Kingdom), working across mainstream and specialist settings and leading organisations at executive level. During a career break to focus on my family, I began receiving requests to support leadership development, organisational improvement and the establishment of new provisions across education and industry. Those conversations became the beginning of Combinative Education.
What started as an opportunity to share my expertise has grown into a much bigger vision. I founded Combinative Education on the belief that the best outcomes come from bringing together the right people, expertise and opportunities to meet individual needs. What began as a consultancy has since expanded to include Combinative Collective, creating flexible educational pathways alongside our growing network of professional services.
Although Combinative continues to evolve, the philosophy behind it remains unchanged: combining our expertise to meet your needs. My vision is to build an organisation where integrity, rigour and collaboration are embedded in everything we do, and where every individual and organisation we work with has the opportunity to realise their full potential.
Areyauna Rais-FirouzFounder & CEO, Combinative Education
Our mission
Combining our expertise to meet your needs.
Our mission is to bring together people, expertise and opportunities to deliver personalised solutions that respond to the needs of individuals and organisations.
Through education, consultancy and professional services, we are committed to challenging conventional approaches, creating meaningful opportunities and enabling everyone we work with to realise their full potential.
Our values
What we stand for
Our values are what we live and breathe. They shape how we work as individuals and as a team, guide the relationships we build and define the standards we hold ourselves and each other to. They are embedded in everything we do.
Rigour
We believe in doing things properly. We hold ourselves to high standards, take pride in the quality of our work and pay attention to every detail, ensuring that what we deliver is thorough, considered and effective.
Collaboration
We believe in working with people, not simply for them. We listen with kindness, empathy and respect, bringing together different perspectives and expertise to create solutions that meet individual needs and help everyone realise their full potential.
Our team
The people behind Combinative
Areyauna Rais-Firouz
Founder & CEO, Combinative Education
Areyauna is an accomplished education executive and consultant, with extensive leadership experience across mainstream, specialist, alternative and online education. Formerly Principal of the National Online School, she has held senior leadership and headship positions across schools and multi-academy trusts, specialising in SEND, inclusion, educational transformation and school improvement.
She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Education from the University of Western Ontario and a Master of Education from the University of Cambridge, alongside QTS and NPQH.
Alongside her educational leadership and consultancy work, Areyauna undertakes inspection work for Ofsted and facilitates National Professional Qualification (NPQ) programmes, supporting the development of current and aspiring educational leaders.
As Founder and CEO of Combinative Education, she is committed to challenging conventional educational models and developing innovative, inclusive and accessible learning pathways that create meaningful opportunities for every learner.
Reena Bhogal-Welsh
Co-founder, Combinative Collective
Reena brings more than 20 years of experience in education, having progressed from English teacher in 2005 to senior leadership roles, including secondary school headship and Director-level positions in Education and Inclusion within local government, before becoming an Education and Inclusion consultant working with alternative provisions and the online education space. She holds Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), a BA degree from Lancaster University and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from St Martin's University. Her extensive experience spans schools, local authorities, children's social care, public health, health services, statutory SEND teams, the Department for Education and NHS England. This breadth of expertise gives Reena a deep understanding of the educational, social and emotional barriers children and young people can face, the challenges families encounter when navigating SEND services, and the responsibilities of schools and commissioners in securing the right support and improving outcomes.
At the heart of Reena's work is the belief that every child and young person deserves to feel understood, valued and able to thrive. She builds trusted partnerships with families, schools and wider services, combining strategic SEND expertise with a compassionate, personalised approach. Whether supporting families to find the right educational pathway or helping schools strengthen provision, Reena is committed to helping children and young people build confidence, realise their potential and achieve positive outcomes.
Join the Collective
Combinative Education is growing and we're always looking to connect with talented, passionate professionals who share our vision and values.
Whether you're an educator, consultant, specialist or industry professional, we'd love to hear from you. As our Collective and Consultancy services expand, so do the opportunities to contribute your expertise, ideas and experience to our growing work.
We're particularly keen to connect with industry professionals and organisations who want to share their knowledge, inspire learners, build professional connections and help create meaningful pathways into employment and industry.
You don't need to wait for a vacancy or a specific opportunity. Whether you're interested in working with us, collaborating or becoming part of our wider professional network, we'd love you to express your interest and start a conversation.