Authors

Sir Peter Lampl is acknowledged to be one of the UK’s leading educational philanthropists, having personally invested tens of millions of pounds and devoted the last 15 years to strategic educational philanthropy. Peter is the founder and chairman of the Sutton Trust which aims to improve social mobility through education. He is also chairman of the Education Endowment Foundation set up last year by the Sutton Trust with support from Impetus Trust funded by an endowment of £125 million from the Government to improve the performance of the poorest children in the worst performing schools. Before establishing the Sutton Trust, Peter was the founder and chairman of the Sutton Company, a Private Equity firm with offices in New York, London and Munich and became one of the 200 wealthiest people in the UK.

Conor Ryan is Director, research and Communications at the Sutton Trust. He was Tony Blair’s senior education adviser from 2005-7 and David Blunkett’s special adviser at the DFEE (1997-2001). He was head of press and research for David Blunkett in opposition from 1993-1997. He has written extensively on education for national newspapers including the Guardian, Independent, Sunday Times, Daily Mail, TES and Public Finance. He has edited and written several books and pamphlets including Lessons for Life (HTI, 2011); Academies (Centreforum, 2008), Staying the Course (SMF, 2008) and (with Cyril Taylor) Excellence in Education (David Fulton, 2005).

Lee Elliot Major is Director, Development and Policy at the Sutton Trust. He is a trustee of the Education Endowment Foundation, and chairs its evaluation advisory group.  Dr Major has served on a number of Government advisory bodies on social mobility and education, most recently being a member of the Cabinet Office group monitoring Government efforts to improve social mobility. He is an adviser to the Office for Fair Access. He is vice-chair of Governors at BrecknockPrimary School in Camden. Dr Major was previously an education journalist, working for the Guardian and Times Higher Education Supplement. He has a PhD in theoretical physics from SheffieldUniversity. He is a member of the research assessment panel for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

James Turner is Director, Programmes and Partnerships at the Sutton Trust, where he has worked for seven years.  James led the Trust’s bid for the Education Endowment Fund and undertook the role of interim Chief Executive, overseeing the set up of the new EEF charity, its infrastructure and grant-making processes. He is now a trustee of the EEF.  James is also a trustee of accessprofessions.com, The Brilliant Club, one of the founder directors of The Children’s University, a NET Leading Thinker and has served as the governor of a south London comprehensive school.