Professor Sir Geoff Hampton
Dean of Education and Director of the Midlands Leadership Centre, University of Wolverhampton
Sir Geoff Hampton was the first school principal in England to be knighted for his distinguished service to education, having turned a failing school (Northicote) into a success story. A teacher by training, he was given the honour of being asked to present the Education Lecture to Prime Minister Blair on the occasion of the Millennium. He is founder and director of the Midlands Leadership Centre at the University of Wolverhampton and has led the development of the Fresh Start Programme at the first City Academy (leading schools in deprived urban areas).
Professor Sir Geoff began his career in education at the Pensnett School, Dudley, having trained as a teacher at King Alfred's College, Winchester. He gained a BEd at the University of Southampton, and a MEd from the University of Birmingham. Southampton University awarded him an honorary doctorate for education in 2003. In 1998 he received a Knighthood in recognition of his services to education.
He was the outright winner of the KPMG National Awards for Work in the Public Sector in 2004; this was followed by KPMG selecting him as their inaugural Chair of Education Leadership. Prior to joining the University Executive, Professor Sir Geoff was Dean of the University's successful School of Education based at the Walsall Campus.
Before coming to the University, Professor Sir Geoff already had considerable experience throughout the whole education sector - as a teacher, deputy head teacher, head teacher, adult education lecturer and visiting university lecturer.
He was responsible for transforming Northicote School, designated a failing school by Ofsted, into a successful and over-subscribed school.
He has acted as consultant and adviser to a number of education authorities and schools; was a founding Co-Director of the National ICT Research Centre and is a member of the National Advisory Group for the Basic Skills Agency; acted as Chair of the Forum for Wolverhampton's Education Action Zone and has served as a governor of local schools and an FE college. He was chosen to give one of the six "Millennium Lectures", hosted by the Prime Minister, to an invited audience, on "What Makes a Good School.
