Anthony Seldon Explained

Sir Anthony Seldon
Birth Name:Anthony Francis Seldon
Birth Date:1953 8, df=yes [1]
Birth Place:Stepney, London, England
Nationality:British
Alma Mater:Worcester College, Oxford (BA)
London School of Economics (PhD)
Polytechnic of Central London (MBA)
King's College London (PGCE)
Known For:Master of Epsom College
Former master of Wellington College
Former vice-chancellor of the University of Buckingham
Spouse:
    Children:3
    Father:Arthur Seldon

    Sir Anthony Francis Seldon (born 2 August 1953)[1] is a British educator and contemporary historian. As an author, he is known in part for his political biographies of consecutive British Prime Ministers, John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson. He was the 13th master (headmaster) of Wellington College, one of Britain's co-educational independent boarding schools and the Head Master of Epsom College from 2023-2024.[2] He was vice-chancellor of the University of Buckingham from 2015 to 2020,[3] when he was succeeded by James Tooley.[4] In 2009, he set up The Wellington Academy, the first state school to carry the name of its founding independent school.[5] Before that, he was head of Brighton College.

    Seldon is the author or editor of more than 45 books on contemporary history, politics and education. He was the co-founder and first director of the Centre for Contemporary British History, is the co-founder of Action for Happiness,[6] is a governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company,[7] and is on the board of a number of charities and educational bodies.

    He is honorary historical adviser to 10 Downing Street and a member of the First World War Centenary Culture Committee. Seldon was knighted in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to education and modern political history.[8]

    Early life and education

    Seldon was born in Stepney,[9] the youngest son of economist Arthur Seldon (born Abraham Margolis), who co-founded the Institute of Economic Affairs and directed academic affairs at the think tank for 30 years.[1] His father was the child of Jewish immigrants who fled antisemitic pogroms in Russia.[10]

    Seldon was educated first at Bickley Park School,[11] then Tonbridge School, followed by Worcester College, Oxford, where he took a BA in PPE. In 1981, he gained a PhD in Economics at the London School of Economics.[12] He has an MBA from the Polytechnic of Central London. He obtained a PGCE from King's College London.

    Career

    Seldon's first teaching appointment was at Whitgift School in Croydon in 1983. He became head of Politics and taught in the sixth form there. In 1989 he returned to his old school, Tonbridge, and became head of History and General Studies. In 1993 he was appointed deputy headmaster and, ultimately, acting headmaster of St. Dunstan's College in London. He then became headmaster of Brighton College from September 1997 until he joined Wellington College in January 2006 as its 13th master. He became executive principal at The Wellington Academy (a separate school) in 2013.

    He took a three-month sabbatical from January to March 2014 (leaving Wellington to be run in the interim by his second master, Robin Dyer, who as acting master, stated it would be "business as usual").[13] Seldon announced on 23 April 2014 that he would be leaving Wellington College in the summer of 2015, after nearly ten years as the 13th master.[14]

    In September 2015, he replaced Terence Kealey as vice-chancellor of University of Buckingham, the first private university in Britain.[15]

    In March 2023, he replaced Emma Pattison as head master of Epsom College, following her murder.[16]

    History, politics and other writing

    Seldon's books include:

    He has edited many books, including the series The Thatcher Effect (1989):[28]

    During his time at Brighton College, Seldon wrote Brave New City: Brighton & Hove Past, Present, Future, an analysis of the city of Brighton and Hove focused principally on its buildings.[38]

    Work in education

    Seldon is a head teacher and appears on television and radio and in the press,[39] and has written regularly for national newspapers including The Times,[40] The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent and The Guardian.[41] His views on education have been sought by the government and political parties, with Seldon promoting co-education, the International Baccalaureate, independent education, the teaching of happiness and well-being, and "all-round" education.

    Seldon has promoted well-being or happiness classes, which he introduced at Wellington College in 2006,[42] and campaigned for a holistic, personalised approach to education rather than what he calls "factory schools".[43] He is a proponent of the Harkness table teaching approach used in the US[44] and the 'Middle Years' approach of the IB,[45] as well a more international approach to education, including a focus on modern languages teaching[46] [47] and setting up sister schools in China.[48] On Friday 17 February 2023, he was announced as the interim head of Epsom College, beginning in March 2023, following the death of the previous head, Emma Pattison.[49]

    Achievements and awards

    Seldon has honorary doctorates or fellowships from the University of Buckingham,[50] the University of Brighton[51] and Richmond University[52] and is a former professor of Education at the College of Teachers.[53] He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS) and of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). He was appointed a fellow of King's College London (FKC) in 2013. He was knighted in the Queen's 2014 Birthday Honours list,[8] and in 2016 he received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Bath.

    Other work

    In 1986 Seldon co-founded, with Professor Peter Hennessy, the Institute of Contemporary British History, a body whose aim is to promote research into, and the study of, British history since 1945. Seldon is a co-founder of Action for Happiness with Richard Layard (Baron Layard), and Geoff Mulgan. He is also a patron of The Iris Project,[54] which runs literacy schemes through Latin in schools in deprived urban areas and of DrugFAM,[55] which supports families affected by a loved one's abuse of drugs or alcohol.

    He was a board member of the Royal Shakespeare Company[56] and was executive producer of the 2017 film version of Journey's End.[57] He is the deputy chair and instigator of the Times Education Commission, former chair of the Comment Awards, president of the International Positive Education Network (IPEN), chair of the National Archives Trust and he was the originator of the Via Sacra/Western Front Way Walk.

    Television and radio

    Among his television work, he has presented In Search of Tony Blair (Channel 4, 2004)[58] and Trust Politics (BBC Two, 2010).[59]

    Family

    Seldon was married to Joanna Pappworth, who died from endocrine cancer in December 2016. Joanna was the daughter of medical ethicist Maurice Henry Pappworth. Anthony and Joanna met at Oxford, married in 1982, and had three children: Jessica, Susannah and Adam.[60] In 2022 he married Sarah Sayer; she had been a language teacher at Wellington College.[61]

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: 'SELDON, Anthony Francis', Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press . 14 December 2011 . 15 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240615051738/https://www.ukwhoswho.com/display/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-34327 . live .
    2. Web site: School Results . The Times . 5 September 2013 . 15 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240615051737/https://cdn.privacy-mgmt.com/wrapper/v2/messages?hasCsp=true&env=prod&body=%7B%22accountId%22%3A259%2C%22campaignEnv%22%3A%22prod%22%2C%22campaigns%22%3A%7B%22ccpa%22%3A%7B%22alwaysDisplayDNS%22%3Afalse%2C%22hasLocalData%22%3Afalse%2C%22targetingParams%22%3A%7B%7D%7D%2C%22gdpr%22%3A%7B%22consentStatus%22%3A%7B%7D%2C%22targetingParams%22%3A%7B%7D%7D%7D%2C%22clientMMSOrigin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.privacy-mgmt.com%22%2C%22hasCSP%22%3Atrue%2C%22includeData%22%3A%7B%22localState%22%3A%7B%22type%22%3A%22string%22%7D%2C%22actions%22%3A%7B%22type%22%3A%22RecordString%22%7D%2C%22cookies%22%3A%7B%22type%22%3A%22RecordString%22%7D%7D%2C%22propertyHref%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thetimes.co.uk%22%2C%22propertyId%22%3A5049%7D&localState=null&metadata=%7B%22ccpa%22%3A%7B%22applies%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22gdpr%22%3A%7B%22applies%22%3Afalse%7D%7D&nonKeyedLocalState=null&ch=446710079449740212bce6&scriptVersion=4.24.0&scriptType=unified . live .
    3. News: Sir Anthony Seldon to leave the University of Buckingham . The Bucks Herald . 1 May 2020 . 9 January 2021 . 11 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210111141954/https://www.bucksherald.co.uk/education/sir-anthony-seldon-leave-university-buckingham-2662479 . live .
    4. https://www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/education/university-buckingham-honours-its-offers-students-regardless-level-grades-2945935 University of Buckingham honours its offers to students regardless of A-level grades
    5. News: Wellington College to run Academy . BBC website . 5 September 2013 . 29 April 2008 . 3 May 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080503023334/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7373435.stm . live .
    6. News: Dr Anthony Seldon: Truly happy people are made, not born . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/dr-anthony-seldon-truly-happy-people-are-made-not-born-2266941.html . 7 May 2022 . subscription . live . The Independent . 5 September 2013 . London . 13 April 2011.
    7. Web site: RSC Annual Report 2011-12 . . 5 September 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130612013324/http://www.rsc.org.uk/downloads/120910_rsc_annual_report_2011-12_final.pdf . 12 June 2013 .
    8. News: John Dunford and Anthony Seldon among educationalists recognised in honours list . London . 13 June 2014 . 13 June 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714190045/http://news.tes.co.uk/b/news/2014/06/13/john-dunford-and-anthony-seldon-among-educationalists-recognised-in-honours-list.aspx . 14 July 2014 . dead.
    9. England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007
    10. Web site: How to go beyond happiness . The Daily Telegraph . 2015 . 9 October 2019 . 15 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240615052230/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/11486396/How-to-go-beyond-happiness.html . live .
    11. News: Former pupils invited to help school celebrate centenary . 2020-07-05 . Edenbridge Chronicle . 5 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200705210528/http://www.edenbridge-chronicle.co.uk/article.cfm?id=113799&headline=Former%20pupils%20invited%20to%20help%20school%20celebrate%20centenary&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2017 . live .
    12. PhD . Anthony . Seldon . The Churchill Government of 1951–55: a study of personalities and policy making . London School of Economics . 1981 . https://archive.today/20130419082357/https://catalogue.lse.ac.uk/Record/298902 . dead . 2013-04-19 . Anthony Seldon .
    13. News: Hurst . Greg . Gove's reform champion to take sabbatical . 15 March 2014 . The Times . 13 December 2013 . 16 March 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140316043822/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/education/article3947671.ece . live .
    14. Web site: Anthony Seldon to retire . Wellington College . 22 April 2014 . 19 March 2018 . 19 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180319213947/https://www.wellingtoncollege.org.uk/news-events/anthony-seldon-to-retire-as-master-of-wellington-college/ . live .
    15. http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/latest-news/appointment-of-sir-anthony-seldon-as-vice-chancellor/ Appointment of Sir Anthony Seldon as Vice-Chancellor
    16. News: Epsom College: New head appointed after school gun deaths . BBC News . 17 February 2023 . 17 February 2023 . 17 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230217142649/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-64677739 . live .
    17. Book: Seldon, Anthony . Churchill's Indian Summer: The Conservative Government, 1951–1955 . 2010 . Faber and Faber . 978-0571272693 . 694.
    18. Book: Seldon, Anthony . Major: A Political Life . 1997 . W&N . 0297816071 . 512.
    19. Book: Dennis Kavanagh, Anthony Seldon . The Powers Behind the Prime Minister: The Hidden Influence of Number Ten . 1999 . . 0002570866 . 352.
    20. Book: Seldon, Anthony . 10 Downing Street: The Illustrated History . 1999 . HarperCollins Illustrated . 0004140737 . 232.
    21. Book: Seldon, Anthony . The Foreign Office: The Illustrated History Of The Place And Its People . 2000 . HarperCollins Illustrated . 000710118X . 240.
    22. Book: Seldon, Anthony . Blair . 2005 . Free Press . 0743232127 . 768.
    23. Book: Seldon, Anthony . Blair Unbound . 2008 . Pocket Books . 978-1847390905 . 608.
    24. Book: Seldon, Anthony . Trust: How We Lost it and How to Get it Back . 2010 . Biteback . 978-1849540018 . 256.
    25. Book: Anthony Seldon, Guy Lodge . Brown at 10 . 2011 . Biteback Publishing . 978-1849541220 . 560 .
    26. Book: Anthony Seldon, David Walsh . Public Schools and the Great War . 2013 . Pen & Sword Military . 978-1781593080 . 320.
    27. Book: 978-2081299023 . The Architecture of Diplomacy: The British Ambassador's Residence in Washington : Seldon, Anthony, Collings, Daniel: Amazon.co.uk: Books . Flammarion . 21 April 2014 .
    28. Book: Dennis Kavanagh, Anthony Seldon . The Thatcher Effect: A Decade of Change . 1989 . Oxford Paperbacks . 0198277466 . 372.
    29. Book: Dennis Kavanagh, Anthony Seldon . The Major Effect . 1994 . Macmillan . 0333622731 . 288.
    30. Book: Seldon, Anthony . The Blair Effect . 2001 . Little, Brown . 0316856363.
    31. Book: Seldon, Anthony . The Blair Effect, 2001–5 . 2005 . Cambridge University Press . 0521678609 . 496.
    32. Book: Seldon, Anthony . Blair's Britain, 1997–2007 . 2007 . Cambridge University Press . 978-0521709460 . 708.
    33. Book: Seldon . Anthony . Finn . Mike . The Coalition Effect, 2010–2015 . 2015 . Cambridge University Press . 978-1107440180.
    34. News: Adams . Tim . Anthony Seldon on Boris Johnson: ‘At his heart, he is extraordinarily empty’ . 30 April 2023 . The Observer . 30 April 2023 . 15 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240615052231/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/apr/30/anthony-seldon-boris-johnson-at-10-biography-interview . live .
    35. Book: Seldon, Anthony . Public & Private Education: The Divide Must End . 2000 . The Social Market Foundation . 1874097941.
    36. Book: Seldon, Anthony . An End To Factory Schools . 2010 . Centre for Policy Studies . 978-1906996192 . 88.
    37. Web site: Seldon . Anthony . Why Schools, Why Universities? . Sir John Cass's Foundation . 5 September 2013 . 26 November 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131126013940/http://www.sirjohncass.org/index.php/news-and-resources/annual-lecture . live .
    38. Book: Seldon, Anthony . Brave New City: Brighton & Hove Past, Present, Future . Pomegranate Press . Lewes . 2002 . 0-9542587-1-1 . Introduction..
    39. Web site: Anthony Seldon . Journalisted . 5 September 2013.
    40. Web site: Anthony Seldon . The Times . 5 September 2013 . 15 August 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130815083744/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/profile/Anthony-Seldon . live .
    41. Web site: Anthony Seldon . The Guardian . 5 September 2013 . 15 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240615052232/https://www.theguardian.com/profile/anthonyseldon . live .
    42. News: School to give pupils lessons in happiness . The Daily Telegraph . 5 September 2013 . London . Stewart . Payne . 18 April 2006 . 15 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240615052233/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1516016/School-to-give-pupils-lessons-in-happiness.html . live .
    43. News: We need to fix Britain's character flaws . 5 September 2013 . The Daily Telegraph . 15 May 2012 . London . Anthony . Seldon . 1 November 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131101141506/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/9267396/We-need-to-fix-Britains-character-flaws.html . live .
    44. News: Oval Harkness table plan to stop pupils hiding in class . 5 September 2013 . The Daily Telegraph . 6 October 2008 . London . Graeme . Paton . 16 July 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130716233627/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/secondaryeducation/3146468/Oval-Harkness-table-plan-to-stop-pupils-hiding-in-class.html . live .
    45. News: Wellington College to poll parents on plan to drop GCSEs in favour of Baccalaureate . 5 September 2013 . The Daily Telegraph . 16 December 2008 . London . 25 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140225090019/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/secondaryeducation/3779491/Wellington-College-to-poll-parents-on-plan-to-drop-GCSEs-in-favour-of-Baccalaureate.html . live .
    46. Web site: Seldon . Anthony . Keynote speech: The Schools Network Annual Languages Conference, University of Warwick. 6 October 2011 . 24 September 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130927124530/http://www.anthonyseldon.co.uk/pictures/Keynote%20speech%20SSAT%20Languages%20Oct%202011.pdf . 27 September 2013 .
    47. News: Mandarin language centre opens at Wellington College . 5 September 2013 . . 2 June 2012 . 26 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140226195638/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-18298110 . live .
    48. News: Wellington College tightens China link . 5 September 2013 . The Times . 1 March 2013 . 15 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240615052236/https://cdn.privacy-mgmt.com/wrapper/v2/messages?hasCsp=true&env=prod&body=%7B%22accountId%22%3A259%2C%22campaignEnv%22%3A%22prod%22%2C%22campaigns%22%3A%7B%22ccpa%22%3A%7B%22alwaysDisplayDNS%22%3Afalse%2C%22hasLocalData%22%3Afalse%2C%22targetingParams%22%3A%7B%7D%7D%2C%22gdpr%22%3A%7B%22consentStatus%22%3A%7B%7D%2C%22targetingParams%22%3A%7B%7D%7D%7D%2C%22clientMMSOrigin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.privacy-mgmt.com%22%2C%22hasCSP%22%3Atrue%2C%22includeData%22%3A%7B%22localState%22%3A%7B%22type%22%3A%22string%22%7D%2C%22actions%22%3A%7B%22type%22%3A%22RecordString%22%7D%2C%22cookies%22%3A%7B%22type%22%3A%22RecordString%22%7D%7D%2C%22propertyHref%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thetimes.co.uk%22%2C%22propertyId%22%3A5049%7D&localState=null&metadata=%7B%22ccpa%22%3A%7B%22applies%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22gdpr%22%3A%7B%22applies%22%3Afalse%7D%7D&nonKeyedLocalState=null&ch=446710079449740212bce6&scriptVersion=4.24.0&scriptType=unified . live .
    49. News: 2023-02-17 . Epsom College: New head appointed after school gun deaths . BBC News . 2023-02-17.
    50. Web site: University of Buckingham . Website . 5 September 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160107175629/http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/latest-news/graduation-2013/ . 7 January 2016 . dmy-all.
    51. Web site: University of Brighton Honorary Doctorates . https://archive.today/20130905165522/https://www.brighton.ac.uk/news/2004/040210graduates.php . dead . 5 September 2013 . Website . 5 September 2013 .
    52. Web site: University of Richmond Honorary Degree Recipients . Website . 5 September 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131113165602/http://www.richmond.ac.uk/content/admissions/about-richmond/honorary-degree-recipients.aspx . 13 November 2013 . dead.
    53. Web site: College of Teachers . Website . 5 September 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130926161736/http://www.collegeofteachers.ac.uk/ . 26 September 2013 . dead.
    54. Web site: The Iris Project . Website . 5 September 2013 . 11 August 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130811142702/http://irisproject.org.uk/index.php/ . live .
    55. Web site: DrugFAM . Website . 5 September 2013.
    56. Web site: Latest Press Releases | Royal Shakespeare Company.
    57. Web site: Journey's End (2017) – IMDb . IMDb.
    58. Web site: In search of Tony Blair . . 6 September 2013.
    59. Web site: Trust Politics . Website . BBC . 6 September 2013 . 14 November 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111114152905/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rq3j7 . live .
    60. Web site: Butter . Susannah . Sir Anthony Seldon on his late wife: 'She was spectacular, ferociously intelligent - I was in awe of her' . Evening Standard . 27 January 2017 . 9 February 2018 . 9 February 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180209185556/https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/sir-anthony-seldon-on-his-late-wife-she-was-spectacular-ferociously-intelligent-i-was-in-awe-of-her-a3451416.html . live .
    61. News: Clarence-Smith . Louisa . Epsom College appoints Sir Anthony Seldon as new headteacher after Emma Pattison tragedy . 18 February 2023 . The Daily Telegraph . 17 February 2023 . Sir Anthony married Sarah Sayer, a former French teacher at Wellington College, last year. . 18 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230218011010/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/17/epsom-college-appoint-new-headteacher-honour-emma-pattisons/ . live .

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