This week’s movers and shakers include a PhD student and a former ice-cream van operator.
This column is our fortnightly guide to who is moving where in the schools community.
We are keen to hear about appointments at a senior level. Please send submissions for this section to news@schoolsweek.co.uk with ‘Movers and shakers’ in the subject line.
Phil Banks
Chief executive officer, St Christopher’s MAT
Start date: September
Current role: Director of partnerships on school improvement, Westcountry Schools Trust
Interesting fact: Phil is working on a PhD at Coventry University looking at the impact of “belonging”. He is also a keen musician and cyclist who enjoys time outdoors.
John Yarham
Interim chief executive, The Careers & Enterprise Company
Start date: April
Previous job: Deputy chief executive, The Careers & Enterprise Company
Interesting fact: John’s first jobs included working in an ice-cream van and in a factory making wine racks.
Victoria Hatton
Partner and South West education lead, Browne Jacobson
Start date: April
Former job: Senior associate, Browne Jacobson
Interesting fact: Despite growing up in Newquay, Cornwall, Victoria has never been on a surfboard and prefers scones with cream, then jam (she says she’s sorry!).
Gibb to advise American tech company
The former schools minister Sir Nick Gibb is to become a strategic adviser for a company that sells pouches to lock away children’s phones.
He will advise Yondr, an American company that supplies about 250 schools in the UK, on education policy, strategic partnerships and product development initiatives.
It comes as a national debate grows about whether schools should ban the use of phones during the school day.
Gibb, who served four prime ministers as schools minister for more than 10 years across three separate terms, stood down last year.
Alongside Michael Gove, he was a principal architect of Conservative education policy for about two decades.
He said he was delighted to join Yondr at a time when the relationship between technology and education was evolving.
“I look forward to supporting Yondr’s innovative approach to creating distraction-free teaching environments that enhance student focus and achievement.”
Schools Week understands the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), which gives guidance on new roles for recent ministers and advisers, has issued conditions. But it is yet to release details.
During his time in office, Gibb championed the academies and free schools programme, a knowledge-rich curriculum and strict behaviour policies.
‘Deep understanding of education’
He has since worked for the Education Development Trust and served as an unpaid member of the Unesco global alliance on science of learning for education.
He was knighted last year.
Yondr, which has an office in London, is used by 3,000 schools in 21 countries.
In the US, its sales reportedly increased from $174,000 in 2021 to $2.13 million (£1.6 million) in 2023.
Schools pay about £25 for each pouch, which uses a magnetic lock and is kept with pupils while they are in school. They can then unlock their phone before they leave at the end of the day.
Research by Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner, found almost all schools restricted phone use, but just 3.5 per cent of secondaries imposed total bans.
Graham Dugoni, the chief executive of Yondr, said: “Nick’s deep understanding of education systems and his commitment to evidence-based approaches align perfectly with Yondr’s mission.
“His expertise will be invaluable as we continue to develop solutions that support focused learning environments.”
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