For eight years I managed the West Midlands RBC (there are equivalents in the rest of the country). It was created under the auspices of the DCSF IT in Schools programme to implement and exploit the benefits of broadband in schools. In collaboration with associates in the other regions WMnet played its role in creating the National Education Network. I have therefore acquired experience of management, recruitment, procurement, developing maintaining and sustaining public sector partnerships. The focus on ICT means that I have developed a certain amount of technical expertise with some knowledge of telecommunications infrastructure plus awareness of data security and data protection issues among others; all this in a context of local and national government ICT strategy.

As the secondary school ICT adviser in a brand new local authority I also assumed responsibility for the new department's ICT strategy including the implementation of the then new National Grid for Learning Programme and the new pupil level annual schools census which was the first electronic collection of individual pupil data from schools. I represented the education department on the council's management information strategy group. I also took the opportunity to qualify as an Ofsted team Inspector.

I was responsible for supporting both the use of ICT in secondary teaching and the provision of technical support for PC networks, so I acquired network management experience and experience of transforming education through the deployment of technology.

Initially a maths teacher and latterly Head of Maths and ICT in London schools.