Les Walton has a unique record of being a successful leader and innovator within most education sectors.

As Headteacher, his school was identified by HMI as ‘one of the most successful urban schools in the country’. In his time as Director of Education the Council achieved Beacon Status for ‘tackling school failure’. All its schools were deemed successful by Ofsted. He was subsequently asked by the DfE to lead interventions in to failing Local Education Authorities Les led the merger of a 6th Form College and an FE college, to create Tyne Metropolitan College, the process of which was described as ‘exemplary’ by the DfE. The success rates moved from bottom to top quartile during the merger period.

Les was first invited to No. 10 to advise Prime Minister, John Major on the establishment of Ofsted. During Tony Blair’s time in office, he was involved in numerous New Labour Government education initiatives. Later, Les was appointed by Secretary of State, Ed Balls, to lead and establish the Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA) which was responsible for distributing £15 billion funding . Secretary of State, Michael Gove, then asked Les to support the establishment of the Education Funding Agency (EFA) and chair the Advisory Group. The EFA was responsible for distributing £51 billion funding. Both Boards have been widely recognised as setting high standards for governance and effectiveness. Les also chaired the National Leaders in Governance Advisory Board.

Les has a track record of education innovation. He has instigated and founded a number of influential and successful education organisations, including Northern Education Associates which was involved in a number of radical initiatives including leading the review of the ‘Trojan Horse Affair’. Les also instigated Schools NorthEast a nationally influential network of schools in the U.K. He also founded the Northern Education Trust (NET). NET is one of the largest and most successful Trusts in England with 17 secondary and 13 primary academies. Les founded and chairs the Association of Education Advisers (AoEA). AoEA has established a presence across the U.K. and globally including the U.S.A. and the United Arab Emirates.

He is Visiting Professor at Sunderland University where he received an Honorary Doctorate. He has been recognised for his work through being awarded the Order of British Empire in 1996 and Commander of the British Empire in 2013. He has received numerous other awards including a Life Time Achievement Award by the Learning Skills Council.

Les continues to radically influence the education system. His work reflects his unwavering commitment to improving some of the country’s most challenging schools.