John Bangs

We are delighted to welcome John Bangs who has kindly agreed to join the Teacher Development Trust’s board.

John started his career as a teacher. He joined the National Union of Teachers (NUT) in 1990 as the officer responsible

for special needs and for the English National Curriculum and its assessment.

In 1993 he was appointed Assistant Secretary (Education/Equal Opportunities). His department covered all areas of education and equal opportunities policy. He was responsible for the NUT’s wide-ranging research programme. Research projects have included ground-breaking work on school self evaluation, pupil behaviour, curriculum and assessment and the professional lives of teachers. He initiated and oversaw the NUT’s teacher Professional Development Programme and was responsible for the NUT’s policies on professional development. He was also responsible for the NUT’s work with OECD.

Since leaving the NUT he has focused primarily on teacher policy and the interface between the teaching profession and government. His role in Education International, focusing on OECD education policy making and research, linked with his work at the Faculty of Education at Cambridge University enables him to be at the leading edge of international teacher policy development and the latest developments on education system comparators. He represents EI in the joint planning group for the International Summit on the Teaching Profession.

John believes that “Reinventing Schools, Reforming Teaching” the book he has co-authored contains profound lessons for government initiated reform.

Current positions held

  • University of Cambridge Faculty of Education: Senior Research Associate at the Faculty focusing on teacher policy and teacher leadership.
  • University of Oxford Faculty of Education: Norham Fellow
  • Institute of Education University of London: Visiting Professor.
  • Education International: Chair of the OECD Trade Union Advisory Committee’s Education, Employment and Training Working Group; Special consultant with Education International with specific responsibility for EI work in the OECD.
  • Relevant career and professional background:
  • Bow Boys Secondary School for Moderate Learning Difficulties, Tower Hamlets: teacher and Head of Department (Art and Design)(1972-75)
  • Templars Special School, Tower Hamlets: Head of Art, Design and Literacy (1975-90)
  • Inner London Education Authority: Teacher Member Responsible for special education (1986-90)
  • National Union of Teachers: Principal Officer for the National Curriculum Unit and Special Education (1990-93)
  • National Union of Teachers: Assistant Secretary, Education and Equal Opportunities and Professional Development (1993-2010)


Some Recent Publications

  • Bangs, J., MacBeath, J. and Galton, M. (2010) Reinventing Schools,Reforming Teaching.From Political Visions to Classroom Reality. London: Routledge.
  • Bangs, J. (2009a) Whose incentives? Whose stimuli? Performance management in England. In: Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development. Evaluating and rewarding the quality of teachers: international practices. Paris: OECD Publishing, pp.103-119.
  • Bangs, J. (2010) Developing Teachers is the Only Way to Reform. Times Educational Supplement. 16 July 2010. http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6050433