Over 40 years in education as teacher, school senior leader, researcher, teacher educator, university dean of education, pro-vice chancellor, school governor, MAT trustee, and author; Emeritus Professor of Social Mobility Plymouth Marjon, Visiting Professor of Education UCL, Honorary Professor Warwick University; Founder and former CEO award-winning charity - Achievement for All 3As; The Prince’s Trust Learning Lead – Taskforce 2030. Named in Debrett's Sunday Times 2015 and 2016 list of the Top 500 Most Influential People in the UK, 2016 Women of the Year Awards, 2018 UK Social Mobility Award Leadership of the Year, 2022 BBC Making a Difference Awards; Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire 2026 New Year Honour.

Co-created Teacher Training Resource Bank and Teach First programme; Co-Author European Commission Improving Teacher Education; Founding Vice-President Chartered College of Teaching; UK lead for European Agency for Inclusion and SEND Raising Attainment research report.

Editor Teaching Times Inclusion Journal; c.300 articles and 55 book publications including Born to Fail? Social Mobility, A Working Class view’; ‘Social Mobility Chance or Choice?’, John Catt Education; publication Teaching and Learning to Unlock Social Mobility for Every Child: Building Learning Futures, Routledge Taylor and Francis.