About
The Education Foundation is a leading organisation set up to accelerate and support positive change in the British education system and beyond.
Co-founded by Ty Goddard and Ian Fordham in 2011, key achievements for The Education Foundation in its first 5 years of work have been:
- Delivering advisory work and partnership projects in the arenas of: teacher’s professional development (Teacherlab); technology and innovation (Learning Lab); creating a vibrant UK edtech startup ecosystem (Edtech Incubator & Edtech UK); and supporting FE colleges and the skills sector with the digital agenda (Digital Colleges)
- Influencing policy development at a national level including running Britain’s first Education Reform Summits, in partnership with the Department for Education & UK governments in 2014, 2015 & 2016; running the first Edtech UK Global Summit with the endorsement of every Whitehall government department in November 2016; our work on the role of the middle tier and submissions to the Select Committee; and our work on the shortage of school places feeding directly into the Mayor of London Schools Inquiry.
- Writing insight and thought leadership reports on the future of the UK education system (Education Britain: the journey to education reform); the way technology and social media can be a tool for teaching and learning (The Facebook Guide for Educators); the strategic development of technology in schools and tackling key barriers across the system for learning (Technology and Education: a system view); the digital transformation of the further education and skills sector (Digital Colleges: the journey ahead) leadership lessons between the US and UK (Building a Lattice for School Leadership); and the development of the UK and London’s edtech ecosystem (Edtech London’s Capital for Learning Technology)
- Undertaking commissioned research including the Facebook Guide for Educators – the first piece of research commissioned by the global technology company outside of the US; work on the future of leadership and new school models for the Powerlist Foundation, to help them shape their vision for a pioneering Sixth Form Leadership Academy in London; a collaborative research report on the lessons and learning from the UK school leadership system for US policy makers; the Mayor of London/London Enterprise Panel’s Digital Skills research project to audit and map school, college and industry digital, computing and STEM provision across London to help shape a major Digital Talent Fund
- Hosting and delivering 50+ Education Foundation policy events, conferences, summits and roundtables on a range of policy issues in the UK and the USA with partners including: The Department for Education, Association of Colleges, Edge Foundation, UKIE NextGenSkills, Thomas B Fordham Institute, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, UKTI, Tech City UK, London and Partners, Universities UK and the British Consulate in Boston
- Developing a Corporate Partners network of leading global and UK companies who work with The Education Foundation on projects, ventures and programmes of work to help drive reform and innovation in the education system – including: Facebook, IBM, Pearson, HP, Randstad Education, Cambridge University Press, Skype, Sony, Google and Samsung.
- Speaking at numerous education, technology and policy events and roundtables including: ASU GSV Summit, The Festival of Education, Campus Party Europe, Economist Infrastructure Summit, TES & New Statesman roundtables, Tech London Advocates Summit, Guardian Innovation in Education Conference, the Innotech Summit and running the BETT Futures Startup Zone in 2015 and 2016.
Founders
The Education Foundation was founded in November 2011 by Ian Fordham and Ty Goddard who between them have 30 years experience working in education policy and practice across the UK and internationally. They have a successful track record in setting up and leading innovative national organisations, advising the government on current and future policy and are recognised experts in scaling up education projects and initiatives across the UK.
They created the Education Foundation with a passion to help create a more open and connected education system.
What leaders think
Since its launch, The Education Foundation has received the following positive feedback:
“Our education reforms have one over-riding goal – to give every child a world-class education. A key part of our long-term economic plan is giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to succeed and get good jobs. The Education Foundation’s Summits allow heads, teachers and reformers from England and around the world a brilliant opportunity to share ideas, learn from each other and build a brighter future for all.” David Cameron MP, former Prime Minister
“Ian Fordham and Ty Goddard are without doubt two of the UK’s leading education innovators and entrepreneurs” Sir Anthony Seldon, Vice Chancellor, University of Buckingham
“Education reform is the great social justice cause of our times. If we are to deliver a fairer society, in which opportunity is shared more widely, we must secure the highest standards of education for all young people, regardless of their background. This is the commitment which has been at the heart of the government’s programme of reform. It is a pleasure to speak at the Education Foundation summit today with so many dedicated professionals and experts who share this belief, and have guided and implemented the changes we have introduced” Nick Gibb MP, Minister for School Reform, Department for Education
“Its a pleasure to speak at the first Education Foundation Summit in the North of England. Over the coming years I want to work with you, with parents, and other experts to develop the twenty-first-century education our country needs. Let’s work together as we answer some of the challenges I’ve outlined so that we can be the envy of the world when it comes to education attainment and success” Lucy Powell MP, former Shadow Secretary of State for Education
“The Education Foundation is a ‘petri dish’ of ideas that will not only help shape the future of education but also change the way think tanks operate for good” Rohan Silva, Co-Founder Second Home & former advisor to the Prime Minister
“This is the perfect moment to be talking about education reform and school leadership. With investment and interest flowing in, the Education Foundation’s Summits play an important part in giving teachers, heads and educationists a forum in which to share their vision, ideas and best practice” Ann Mroz, Editor, TES
Funding
The Education Foundation is a not-for-profit social enterprise, funded, in our first 5 years by a combination of: co-founder investment; demonstration and innovation projects with schools, colleges, universities, companies and government; commissioned research from charitable foundations and local government; sponsored roundtables and events; and funding from leading businesses for our advisory work and projects. If you want to work with us and support our work, please visit the Support us section of this site.