Ben Cox

Like many families, we had times growing up when there was too much month at the end of the money. But it wasn't until I started working for a charity in East London that I came to truly understand the stubborn link between poverty and educational underachievement. Serving some of the capital's most disadvantaged communities, that charity used sport to develop life skills and raise academic aspiration. Sadly, some of our young people ended up in jail or worse. But I'm proud to say many also went onto higher education and successful careers. In 2016, I moved back to Leeds to build a similar city-wide partnership here. Those award-winning initiatives are now nationally recognised and setting new standards for educational innovation.

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Whilst it is work at the sharp end that counts, I have been keen to understand the debates around education policy and how it intersects with the real wold. Too often, top down levers don't have the desired effect because policy-makers aren't sufficiently aware of the cultural and institutional challenges on the ground. I'm keen to see more bottom-up solutions making their way into white papers. This requires a better dialogue between the sector and the political class. Take a look at my blog page for a few thoughts on how we might make progress. 

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The world is entering a period of unprecendented economic turmoil. I don't believe we have fully comprehended the scale of the problems facing us. The next decade will require a fundamental reset of the way our economy and society works. I want to see an industrial strategy for this country where an active state supports private sector innovation and expertise. Education must be at the heart of that new settlement. I intend to make what contribution I can. 

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