Chris Wormald
Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education
How did you tackle the biggest challenges facing your organisation in 2014?
This year has seen a huge amount of important reform in the education and children’s services sectors. September was the key implementation moment for several large reforms – including the introduction of the new national curriculum, the introduction of universal infant free school meals, the extension of the free entitlement of early learning for two-year olds, and the introduction of radical new Special Educational Needs (SEN) reforms. This was alongside the challenge of ensuring there were enough school places for every child and the opening of 78 new free schools and 165 academies.
This was the culmination of a great deal of hard work and commitment from colleagues across the department to ensure successful delivery. With so many changes happening at the same time, we needed to increase the board’s oversight of our risk management process both in the run-up to September and as the reforms were implemented. We continued to track progress to ensure that the reforms were being successfully delivered across the piece.
What are your department’s top priorities in the last month’s before the general election?
The department’s top priority is to continue to deliver the government’s ambitious reform agenda in education and children’s services. The department’s focus over the coming months will be on our five reform priorities: to create a self-improving, school-led system; develop a great workforce in schools and children’s services; increase rigour and expectations of curricula, assessment and behaviour; protect and increase opportunity for vulnerable children; and support schools and colleges to prepare well-rounded young people for success in adult life.
What’s your favourite Christmas treat? And what makes you say: ‘Bah, humbug!’?
My favourite Christmas treat is playing with whatever games my children get given.
Organised people who start their Christmas shopping at the start of November make me say ‘Bah, humbug!’, and unfortunately I have one who works in my private office!