Philippa Cordingley - Honorary Fellow 2011

Following a joint honours degree in English and Education at York University, Philippa worked in a wide variety of roles in education at college, Local Authority and national levels. She completed a Masters degree in Education Policy Making at Sussex University in 1983. She held a wide variety of roles in the Inner London Education Authority, in Southwark College and in developing 16-19 policy across all schools, colleges and polytechnics in London. In 1986 she moved to Birmingham Education Authority where she was Assistant Chief Education Officer responsible for school improvement, the advisory service, school development, research and statistics and business education partnerships including Technical and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI).

In the mid 1990s Philippa was contracted by the (then) Teacher Training Agency to  act as Chief Professional Advisor for Research for the TTA to support their work in building the teaching profession as a research informed profession. At the same time she was commissioned by NUT to develop an evidence-based approach to leading edge CPD for teachers. So Philippa, as is her preference, was working both “bottom up and top down” to secure effective, evidence informed learning opportunities for teachers.

In 1998 Philippa formalised this work by establishing the Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education (CUREE) in 1998. CUREE works with schools, colleges, local education authorities and government organisations to support and develop tools for continuing professional development, organisational leadership and for teaching and learning. A culture of use of research and evidence runs as a connecting thread through all of this work. In 2002, England was recognised by OECD as offering leading edge practice in use of research and evidence and CUREE was acknowledged as a key factor in this success. 

Between 2005 and 2011 CUREE has extended its face-to-face work with schools through its research based CPD programmes and also made a considerable contribution to developing a research and evidence informed professional culture amongst teachers in the Learning and Skills sector.