The TES have revealed No. 10 have appointed Mike Crowhurst a former History teacher as head of education. Mr Crowhurst has a degree in History from Oxford University and a Masters’ degree in Educational Leadership from Warwick University. He taught at the comprehensive school Kingsbury School and Sports College in Birmingham before joining the free-schools charity the New Schools Network (NSN) where he is currently a director of education. He will stand down from the role as he takes up his new position.  

Theresa May would not have a dedicated adviser on education policy after founding director of NSN, Rachel Wolf, stepped down from the adviser role last summer. But Mr Crowhurst, who used to work for Conservative MP Mike Penning, has now been given the role of head of education in Downing Street. In an article on ConservativeHome in 2010, Mr Crowhurst said: “I believe passionately that education is the most powerful and effective force for change.” “If this is true, then it seems completely unacceptable that our school system should still present such huge differences in opportunity for young people."
He added: “I was lucky enough to go to a state school which gave an excellent education to pupils from a wide variety of backgrounds.” In the same article, he wrote: “In my experience, lack of funds is not the factor holding back schools which are failing to provide the education their pupils deserve. “What is needed is structural change, which will help shape the school system to be more efficient, innovative and professional in the drive for high educational standards.”