Sir Michael Barber appointed Chair of Nord Anglia University

Leading premium international schools organisation Nord Anglia Education today announced the appointment of Sir Michael Barber as Chair of Nord Anglia University (NAU), its digital professional development platform.

In his senior advisory role, Sir Michael will work closely with Nord Anglia’s education experts to further enhance how it uses digital learning to create new development opportunities for its 15,000 colleagues teaching and working in 32 countries around the world.

NAU contains thousands of resources and learning opportunities designed to support the professional development of teachers and non-teaching colleagues, and connect them with their peers across Nord Anglia’s global family of 81 schools. As well as using Artificial Intelligence to personalise each user’s learning experience, NAU encourages collaboration and the sharing of best practice in teaching, wellbeing and career management.

Sir Michael brings a wealth of experience in education to his role at Nord Anglia, having worked in schools, higher education, and government for over 30 years. After studying History at the University of Oxford, he trained as a teacher and went on to teach in schools in Britain and Zimbabwe.

Sir Michael served as Chief Advisor to the Secretary of State for Education on School Standards from 1997 to 2001, before founding and leading the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit in No. 10, reporting to Tony Blair. In 2005, he was knighted for his contributions to improving government.

Sir Michael is the founder and Chair of Delivery Associates and currently advises governments, organisations and NGOs on how to turn ambitious goals into everyday reality for citizens around the world. He is also the Chancellor of the University of Exeter, and author of ‘Accomplishment: How to Achieve Ambitious and Challenging Things’.

Sir Michael Barber said: “Nord Anglia has a strong reputation for professional development. Their philosophy is that ‘great teachers make great schools’ and I’ll be working closely with their educators to look at new ways to invest in colleagues’ growth and to ensure that their growth improves student outcomes. I’m looking forward to working with Nord Anglia’s experts to further enhance how NAU delivers high-quality professional development at scale.”

Commenting on Sir Michael’s appointment, Andrew Fitzmaurice, Chief Executive Officer at Nord Anglia Education, said: “Sir Michael brings significant experience and value to Nord Anglia, and his insight will ensure we continue to offer the best professional development programme in international education.”