
Jonathan Simons
Director of Policy and Advocacy, Varkey Foundation
Jonathan is the newly appointed Director at the not-for-profit organisation established to improve the standards of education for underprivileged children throughout the world. He was formerly Head of the Education Unit at Policy Exchange, where he directed research on all aspects of education including Early Years, schools, skills and HE. Previously Jonathan worked at Serco Group, where he was Director of Strategy in the company’s specialist education practice. Prior to that, he was Head of Open Public Services in the Cabinet Office, and Head of Education in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit in the administrations of both Gordon Brown and David Cameron. Outside of work Jonathan is the Chair of Governors and Co-Founder of Greenwich Free School, and a Trustee of Reach4 Multi Academy Trust. He writes a weekly column for the TES newspaper on politics and education policy.

Related Posts & Publications


The skills we need, and why we don’t have them
by Jonathan Simons | Nov 11, 2016
Read Publication Apprenticeships programme needs stronger focus on quality, says Policy Exchange. New report urges the government to put in place a high level quality target alongside its existing commitment to create 3 million new Apprenticeship starts by 2020 The...
The Importance of Teachers: A collection of essays on teacher recruitment and retention
by Jonathan Simons | Mar 4, 2016
Read Report In 2010, the DfE published a White Paper entitled “The Importance of Teaching”. This set out the overall direction of travel for the Coalition government, including recognising the importance of teaching to improving school standards. The title of this...
Time to Care
by Jonathan Simons | Jan 25, 2016
Read Report Today, the Third Reading of the Childcare Bill takes place in Parliament. Assuming the Bill passes and receives Royal Assent, the introduction of 30 hours a week free childcare for working parents of three and four year olds offers an immediate financial...
Higher, Further, Faster, More: Improving higher level professional and technical education
by Jonathan Simons | Oct 19, 2015
Read Report Up to half a billion pounds should be diverted from universities at the Spending Review to boost the quality of high level professional and technical courses in FE Colleges across the country. Higher, Further, Faster, More says that, while UK universities...Support Us
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