Pat Collarbone taught for 28 years in inner London and established a reputation for innovation and achievement during her headship at Haggerston School in Hackney. In 1996 she established the London Leadership Centre at the Institute of Education, University of London. In 2002 she was seconded from the IoE as Director of Leadership Development Programmes at the National College for School Leadership (NCSL), a post she held until December 2004. She was a Director of NCSL and the Director of the National Remodelling Team within NCSL until March 2005, continuing in this role when the NRT transferred to the Training and Development Agency (TDA).

In 2006, she set up Education Change Associates Limited, a private consultancy firm, but is also a principal advisor to the TDA, and is involved with work for NCSL on the ECM agenda, and with the Innovation Unit and the DfES.

Pat is noted as an outstanding speaker and frequently delivers presentations on leadership development and remodelling at national and international conferences. She received a DBE in 1997 as an acknowledgement for her services to education.