David Dean taught for 10 years in an independent progressive school in England before being appointed as headmaster to a new special school in Wales. In 1978 he founded Raddery School, a therapeutic school for children with special needs in Scotland where he worked with up to 40 children and 40 staff members for 17 years developing an innovative residential programme based on holistic and group psychotherapeutic principles. The school had an active small farm, outdoor education programme and a flourishing use of music and drama.

Importantly ,the children’s educational, social, emotional and spiritual development together with a strong involvement in community decision making were outstanding features of Raddery, much commented upon and commended by government inspectors and visitors as well as by the young people themselves . During this time David Dean acted variously as Chairman of the Scottish Independent Special Schools Group and vice Chairman of the Charterhouse Group of therapeutic communities, UK.

Currently, in semi retirement, he acts, through the Ecologia Trust, as an international advisor and consultant to the Kitezh Children's Community in Russia and, separately, to British Executive Service Overseas / Voluntary Service Overseas where he has assisted in Russia, Romania and Uganda. He was honoured in the UK in 1990 with an award of the OBE for ‘services to education’ and later that year by the Ministry of Education in Moscow for assisting in their programme of change in special schools, orphanages and special vocational schools. He also contributes as a visiting lecturer to course work for students in the psychology and sociology departments at the State University of St.Petersburg.