LSDA ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF ITS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE

14 Sep 2004 09:15 AM

Andrew Thomson has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA). The appointment was announced today, Tuesday 14 September, by Sir Geoffrey Holland, chair of LSDA, and Mr Thomson will take up his post on 1st January 2005. He succeeds Chris Hughes who retires as LSDA’s chief executive at the end of December 2004.

Andrew Thomson has been principal of Long Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge – one of the best performing colleges in England – for the past six years. Under his leadership the College has achieved top inspection grades for management and quality assurance and outstanding national performance in A-level ‘value added’ scores. Previously, Mr Thomson was principal of East Norfolk Sixth Form College and he spent his earlier career in a variety of teaching and management posts in schools and colleges. Recently he spent six months (on secondment) as acting principal of Daventry Tertiary College, then in ‘special measures’, where he successfully re-directed the College and led its recovery plan. Mr Thomson has held posts on many national committees such as the Bureaucracy Task Force and the 14-19 Curriculum Reform Group. He is also a member of the Minister of State’s ‘Critical Friends’ Group and chairs the Association of Colleges’ 16-19 common interest group.

Andrew Thomson said: “I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to make a major contribution to the future of post-16 education and training and lead the Learning and Skills Development Agency into its next phase. I am fortunate in taking over a successful and growing organisation that is well-respected both by policy makers and practitioners, and look forward to building on the outstanding work that Chris Hughes has done over the past six years.”

Announcing the appointment, Sir Geoffrey Holland said: “Andrew Thomson has an impressive track record as a college principal, with a reputation for quality improvement. What impressed the interviewing panel was his outstanding leadership qualities and charisma, his passion for education and training, and his ability to relate to both senior policy makers and a wide range of grass-roots practitioners from work-based learning as well as schools, colleges and adult and community education. He inherits an organisation that is in a healthy position, both financially and strategically, and I am personally looking forward to working with him.”

Christine Braddock, principal of Matthew Boulton College and LSDA board member, added: “The competition for the post was tough, but the panel was unanimous in its choice. Andrew Thomson is highly respected in the learning and skills sector and has a well-earned reputation for quality improvement and change management. I believe he is an ideal choice of leader for LSDA – an organisation that is growing fast and moving in new directions – and I am sure he will be well-received and supported by the sector. “

Andrew Thomson (47) is married with three children.

Ends

Media enquiries to: Anne Nicholls, Communications Manager, LSDA. Tel: 0207 297 9017 (direct line). Mobile: 07785 59826 Email: anicholls@LSDA.org.uk

Notes to editors 1. The mission of the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) is to improve the quality of post-16 education and training in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We do this by carrying out research to inform policy and practice, by helping to shape and communicate education policy, and by improvement and support programmes for organisations that deliver post-16 education and training. The work of LSDA is supported by the Learning and Skills Council. For further information see the web site http://www.LSDA.org.uk

2. Charles Clarke, Secretary of State for Education and Skills, announced (in July 2004) the start of discussions between LSDA and the Department for Education and Skills to ‘establish a national strategic body to drive forward quality improvements and bring together quality-assurance activities’.

3. Andrew Thomson – career history

Education Cranbourne Comprehensive School, Basingstoke (O levels, 1974) Queen Mary’s College, Basingstoke (A levels, 1976) University of East Anglia, BSc Environmental Sciences (1st class honours, 1980) University of East Anglia, PGSE in Geography and Maths (1982) Brunel University, MA in Education Management (1990)

Employment Fyling Hall School North Yorkshire (1976-7) – junior teacher Sheridan House, Norfolk (1980-1) – residential social worker Notre Dame High School, Norwich (1982-6) – geography teacher and coordinator or pre-vocational education. The Sixth Form College, Farnborough, Hants (1986-91) – student adviser, senior tutor and college development planner. Haywards Heath College, West Sussex (1991-4) – vice principal East Norfolk Sixth Form College, Gorleston (1994-8) – principal Long Road Sixth Form College (1998 -) – principal Secondment to Daventry Tertiary College (6 months, 2003) – acting principal

Elected and appointed posts include: Department for Education and Skills – 14-19 Curriculum Reform Group (1999-2001) Association of Colleges – sixth form college representative (1998 -) Association of Colleges – chair, 16-19 common interest group (1998 -) Learning and Skills Council – National Learning Network (2001-2) Learning and Skills Council – Bureaucracy Task Force (2002-3) Learning and Skills Council – Funding Methodology Review Group (2003 -) Learning and Skills Council – Sustainable Development Group (2003 -) Qualifications and Curriculum Authority – Curriculum 2000 Group (1999-2001) Minister of State’s ‘Critical Friends’ group (2002 -) ‘A step up the ladder’ management training programme (1997 -) – creator/director

4. Chris Hughes joined the Learning and Skills Development Agency (then the Further Education Development Agency) as chief executive in September 1998. Within six years he has transformed LSDA into the influential body that it is today, moving from an annual turnover of £11 million in 1998 to its current turnover of more than £36 million.