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.

Jonathan Simons

Related Posts & Publications

How to solve the ‘teacher recruitment crisis’

How to solve the ‘teacher recruitment crisis’

by | Mar 4, 2016

This week, half a million families discovered the secondary school place their child has secured for next year. Ensuring each of those children get a great education, no matter their background, relies day in and day out on the efforts of around 450,000 teachers...
Fair school admissions: are lotteries the answer?

Fair school admissions: are lotteries the answer?

by | Feb 12, 2016

Thanks for inviting me tonight. It’s always cheery to realise that you’re too old to be a Young anything, but as I am now over the age of 31 I realise this is one of at least two reasons why I will never be a Young Fabian… I want to make three points tonight about the...