Marie Gentles grew up in East London with her mum, dad, older sister and younger brother. She is now a married mother of two teenage children and still resides in London. Marie grew up in an inclusive, extended family with a number of fostered and adopted children and qualified as a primary school teacher 20 years ago.

In her career working with children, Marie has been a class teacher, headteacher of a primary Pupil Referral Unit, and worked in the Social Emotional and Mental Health Provision.

In 2010 Marie was appointed the strategic lead for a London Borough’s Nurture Group project and set up a Nurture Group model to serve the entire Borough, the first of its kind nationally. It had immense success in transforming pupil’s behaviour and significantly reducing the rate of permanent exclusions in the borough.

In January 2020 Marie set up a training and consultancy business, and in October 2020, Marie received an OBE for her services to education. During the academic year 2020/2021, a sample of Marie’s work was documented by the BBC's Don't Exclude Me.

Marie now works as a Behaviour Advisor for the Government and is part of the four year contracted National Behaviour Hubs Programme.

Marie’s ambition is to support as many children and young people nationally and internationally, and for the adults supporting them to work in an inclusive, preventive way that empowers, uplifts and inspires.