To help us think about what is needed to create a long-term vision and framework for education in England, Carl Ward (FED Chair), hosts a series of ‘In Conversation With’ videos with significant influential individuals to help move our thinking forward.
This week we are delighted to present our latest instalment with FED Trustee, Patrick Wall. Patrick is the founder of edpol.net, a research project to support better and more enduring policy change. Patrick set up the first Oxford University access programme, Target Schools, in 1982 and first became a school governor in 1988. For the last ten years he has been chair of governors at Ark Academy in Wembley. Patrick is a long standing Sutton Trust Fellow. He has spent thirty five years in business, working in Europe, USA and China. He is founder, and ex-CEO, of a successful European tech company and NED for a tech business, building ethical and sustainable supply chains.
In this fascinating conversation, Patrick and Carl discuss a wide range of issues surrounding policy creation, concerns about the current system of policy creation in England, most notable, instability, constant change made upon schools and colleges and policy churn. They discuss possible causes to this short term thinking, including the revolving door of ministers at the top, the rotation of the civil service, institutional memory, before looking to some possible solutions to help move towards greater stability in the system, whilst looking at international examples.