David is Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Education, University of London, and holds visiting professorships at six national and international universities. David has served three Secretaries of State as Chief Adviser on School Standards and Director of the Standards and Effectiveness Unit. He was also Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Nottingham and was a member of the team that secured the location of the National College for School Leadership there.

David was previously an outward bound instructor, schoolteacher, university lecturer and tutor. David believes strongly in both personalised learning and ‘whole-school’ designs for school improvement. He is committed to making Bright Tribe academies and students the best they can possibly be and to placing the Bright Tribe movement at the heart of changes to UK education practice and policy.

David has published close to fifty books on educational issues and has just completed his school improvement trilogy:

• School Improvement for Real (2000);
• Every School a Great School (2007); and
• Exploding the Myths of School Reform (2013).