Sir Anthony Francis Seldon (born 2 August 1953)
is a British educator and contemporary historian. As an author, he is known in part for his political biographies of
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...
,
John Major
Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament ...
,
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...
,
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He previously served as Chance ...
,
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...
and
Theresa May
Theresa Mary May, Lady May (; née Brasier; born 1 October 1956) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served in David Cameron's cab ...
. He was the 13th Master (headmaster) of
Wellington College Wellington College may refer to:
*Wellington College, Berkshire, an independent school in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England
** Wellington College International Shanghai
** Wellington College International Tianjin
* Wellington College, Wellington, Ne ...
, one of Britain's co-educational independent boarding schools. He was Vice-Chancellor of the
University of Buckingham
, mottoeng = Flying on Our Own Wings
, established = 1973; as university college1983; as university
, type = Private
, endowment =
, administrative_staff = 97 academic, 103 support
, chance ...
from 2015 to 2020, when he was succeeded by
James Tooley
James Nicholas Tooley (born July 1959, in Southampton, England) is a professor of educational entrepreneurship and of education policy at the University of Buckingham. In July 2020 Tooley was appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of the Universi ...
. In 2009, he set up
The Wellington Academy, the first state school to carry the name of its founding independent school. Before that, he was head of
Brighton College
Brighton College is an independent, co-educational boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 3 to 18 in Brighton, England. The school has three sites: Brighton College (the senior school, ages 11 to 18); Brighton College Preparatory Sc ...
.
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
The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) is a British educational organisation providing resources and training for historical researchers. It is part of the School of Advanced Study in the University of London and is located at Senate Hous ...
, is the co-founder of
Action for Happiness
Action for Happiness (AfH) is a global movement and charity based in the United Kingdom. It aims to increase the happiness in the world by bringing together people and supporting them to take practical action to build a happier society. The pat ...
,
is a governor of the
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
, and is on the board of a number of charities and educational bodies.
He is also both honorary historical adviser to
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street in London, also known colloquially in the United Kingdom as Number 10, is the official residence and executive office of the first lord of the treasury, usually, by convention, the prime minister of the United Kingdom. Along wi ...
and a member of the
First World War Centenary
The First World War centenary was the centenary of the First World War, which began on 28 July 2014 with a series of Centenary of the outbreak of World War I, commemorations of the outbreak of the war organised across the continent of Europe, and ...
Culture Committee. Seldon was
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
in the
2014 Birthday Honours
The 2014 Birthday Honours were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as part of ...
for services to education and modern political history.
Early life and education
![Tonbridge School 2008](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Tonbridge_School_2008.jpg)
Seldon was born in
Stepney
Stepney is a district in the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The district is no longer officially defined, and is usually used to refer to a relatively small area. However, for much of its history the place name appl ...
, the youngest son of economist
Arthur Seldon
Arthur Seldon, (29 May 1916 – 11 October 2005) was joint founder president, with Ralph Harris, of the Institute of Economic Affairs, where he directed editorial affairs and publishing for more than thirty years. He is the father of po ...
(born Abraham Margolis), who co-founded the
Institute of Economic Affairs
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is a right-wing pressure group and think tank registered as a UK charity Associated with the New Right, the IEA describes itself as an "educational research institute", and says that it seeks to "further t ...
and directed academic affairs at the think tank for 30 years.
His father was the child of Jewish immigrants who fled anti-semitic pogroms in Russia.
Seldon was educated first at
Bickley Park School
This is a list of schools in the London Borough of Bromley, England.
State-funded schools Primary schools
:''Source. (CE indicates Church of England and RC Roman Catholic schools).''
* Alexandra Infant School
* Alexandra Junior School
* Balg ...
, then
Tonbridge School
(God Giveth the Increase)
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public schoolIndependent day and boarding
, religion =
, president =
, head_label ...
, followed by
Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms w ...
, where he received a BA degree in
Politics, Philosophy and Economics. He then obtained a PhD degree in Economics at the
London School of Economics
, mottoeng = To understand the causes of things
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £240.8 million (2021)
, budget = £391.1 millio ...
in 1981.
He also has an MBA degree from the
Polytechnic of Central London
, mottoeng = The Lord is our Strength
, type = Public
, established = 1838: Royal Polytechnic Institution 1891: Polytechnic-Regent Street 1970: Polytechnic of Central London 1992: University of Westminster
, endowment = £5.1 million ...
.
He qualified as a schoolteacher at
King's College London
King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...
.
Career
Seldon's first teaching appointment was at
Whitgift School
("He who perseveres, conquers")
, established =
, closed =
, type = Independent school
, religious_affiliation = Church of England
, president =
, head_label = Head Master
, head = Christopher Ramsey
, c ...
in
Croydon
Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...
in 1983, where he was Head of Politics and taught in the
Sixth Form
In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...
. In 1989 he returned to his old school,
Tonbridge
Tonbridge ( ) is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling, it had an estimated population ...
, and became Head of History and General Studies. In 1993 he was appointed Deputy Headmaster and, ultimately, Acting Headmaster of
St Dunstan's College
St Dunstan's College is a coeducation, co-educational Independent school (United Kingdom), independent day school in Catford, south-east London, England. It is a registered charity, and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference a ...
in London. He then became Headmaster of
Brighton College
Brighton College is an independent, co-educational boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 3 to 18 in Brighton, England. The school has three sites: Brighton College (the senior school, ages 11 to 18); Brighton College Preparatory Sc ...
from September 1997 until he joined
Wellington College Wellington College may refer to:
*Wellington College, Berkshire, an independent school in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England
** Wellington College International Shanghai
** Wellington College International Tianjin
* Wellington College, Wellington, Ne ...
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"). Dr 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.
In September 2015, he replaced
Terence Kealey
George Terence Evelyn Kealey (born 16 February 1952) is a British biochemist who was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham, a private university in Britain. He was appointed Professor of Clinical Biochemistry in 2011. Prior to his tenur ...
as Vice-Chancellor of
University of Buckingham
, mottoeng = Flying on Our Own Wings
, established = 1973; as university college1983; as university
, type = Private
, endowment =
, administrative_staff = 97 academic, 103 support
, chance ...
, the first private university in Britain.
History, politics and other writing
Seldon's books include ''Churchill's Indian Summer'' (1981), which won a Best First Work Prize; ''Major, A Political Life'' (1997); ''The Powers Behind the Prime Minister'' (1999) co-written with Professor
Dennis Kavanagh
Dennis Kavanagh (born 27 March 1941) is a British political analyst and since 1996 has been Professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool, and now Emeritus Professor. He has written extensively on post-war British politics. With David Butl ...
; ''10 Downing Street: The Illustrated History'' (2000); ''The Foreign Office: The Illustrated History Of The Place And Its People'' (2001); ''Blair'' (2004); ''Blair Unbound'' (2007), Trust (2009); ''Brown at 10'' (2010) with Guy Lodge; ''Public Schools and The Great War'' (2013) with
David Walsh; ''The Architecture of Diplomacy: The British Ambassador's Residence in Washington'' (2014) with Daniel Collings; and ''Cameron at 10'' (2015) with
Peter Snowdon
Peter Snowdon is a contemporary historian and journalist.
Educated at St. Dunstan's College, Durham University and the London School of Economics, he has collaborated with Anthony Seldon on a number of books, including the authorised biography of ...
. He has edited many books, including the series ''The Thatcher Effect'' (1989); ''The Major Effect'' (1994); ''The Blair Effect'' (2001); ''The Blair Effect 2001–2005'' (2005); ''Blair's Britain'' (2007);, ''The Coalition Effect'' (2015) with Dr Mike Finn, The Cabinet Office 1916-2016; The Birth of Modern British Government, Biteback 2016, The Fouth Education Revolution with Oladimeji Abidoye, Buckingham University Press, 2018, May at 10, with Raymond Newell, Biteback, 2019, Public Schools and the Second World War, with David Walsh, Pen &Sword, 2020
Other edited books include ''Ruling Performance'', with Professor
Peter Hennessy
Peter John Hennessy, Baron Hennessy of Nympsfield, (born 28 March 1947) is an English historian and academic specialising in the history of government. Since 1992, he has been Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History at Queen Mary Unive ...
and ''Conservative Century'', with Professor
Stuart Ball
Stuart Ryan Ball, CBE, FRHistS, is a political historian who retired in 2016 as professor of Modern British History at the University of Leicester, having taught there for 37 years; he is now emeritus professor of Modern History there. He specia ...
. He has written a number of booklets on education, including ''Private and Public Education: The Divide Must End'' (2000); ''Partnership not Paternalism (2001); An End To Factory Schools'' (2010);
''The Politics of Optimism'' (2012); and ''School United'' (2014). His 2011 Cass Lecture was published as 'Why Schools? Why Universities?' He also founded two journals, ''
Contemporary British History
''Contemporary British History'' is a quarterly peer reviewed academic journal covering the history of Britain since 1945. It was established in 1987 as the ''Contemporary Record'', obtaining its current name in 1996. It is published by Routledge a ...
'' (as ''Contemporary Record'') and ''
Twentieth Century British History
''Twentieth Century British History'' is a peer reviewed
Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work ( peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified me ...
''. 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
Brighton and Hove () is a city and unitary authority in East Sussex, England. It consists primarily of the settlements of Brighton and Hove, alongside neighbouring villages.
Often referred to synonymously as Brighton, the City of Brighton and H ...
focused principally on its buildings.
Work in education
Seldon is a head teacher and appears on television and radio and in the press, and has written regularly for national newspapers including ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'', ''The Sunday Times'', ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'', ''The Independent'' and ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''. 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, and campaigned for a holistic, personalised approach to education rather than what he calls "factory schools."
He is a proponent of the
Harkness table
The Harkness table, Harkness method, or Harkness discussion is a teaching and learning method involving students seated in a large, oval configuration to discuss ideas in an encouraging, open-minded environment with only occasional or minimal t ...
teaching approach used in the US and the '
Middle Years' approach of the IB, as well a more international approach to education, including a focus on
modern languages teaching and setting up sister schools in China.
Achievements and awards
![Knights Bachelor Insignia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Knights_Bachelor_Insignia.png)
Seldon has honorary doctorates or fellowships from the University of Buckingham, the University of Brighton and Richmond University and is a former Professor of Education at the College of Teachers. He is a
Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
(FRHistS) and of the
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...
(FRSA). He was appointed a
Fellow of King's College London
King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...
(FKC) in 2013. He was
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
in the
Queen's 2014 Birthday Honours list.
Other work
In 1986 Seldon co-founded, with Professor
Peter Hennessy
Peter John Hennessy, Baron Hennessy of Nympsfield, (born 28 March 1947) is an English historian and academic specialising in the history of government. Since 1992, he has been Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History at Queen Mary Unive ...
, 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
Action for Happiness (AfH) is a global movement and charity based in the United Kingdom. It aims to increase the happiness in the world by bringing together people and supporting them to take practical action to build a happier society. The pat ...
with
Richard Layard
Peter Richard Grenville Layard, Baron Layard FBA (born 15 March 1934) is a British labour economist, currently working as programme director of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics.
Layard was Senior Research ...
(Baron Layard), and
Geoff Mulgan
Sir Geoff Mulgan CBE (born 1961) is Professor of Collective Intelligence, Public Policy and Social Innovation at University College London (UCL). From 2011 to 2019 he was Chief Executive of the National Endowment for Science Technology and the ...
. Seldon is also a patron of ''The Iris Project'', which runs literacy schemes through
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
in schools in deprived urban areas and of DrugFAM, which supports families affected by a loved one's abuse of drugs or alcohol.
He was a Board Member of the
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
and was Executive Producer of the 2017 film version of
Journey's End
''Journey's End'' is a 1928 dramatic play by English playwright R. C. Sherriff, set in the trenches near Saint-Quentin, Aisne, towards the end of the First World War. The story plays out in the officers' dugout of a British Army infantry comp ...
.
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
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
, 2004) and ''Trust Politics'' (BBC Two, 2010).
Family
Seldon was married to Joanna Pappworth, who died from endocrinal cancer in December 2016. Joanna was the daughter of medical ethicist
Maurice Henry Pappworth
Maurice Henry Pappworth (9 January 1910 – 12 October 1994) was a pioneering British medical ethicist and tutor, best known for his 1967 book ''Human Guinea Pigs'', which exposed the unethical dimensions of medical research. Born and educated in ...
. Anthony and Joanna met at Oxford, married in 1982, and had three children: Jessica, Susannah and Adam.
He is believed to have remarried, to Sarah Sayer, some 15-16 years his junior, in 2022.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seldon, Anthony
1953 births
Living people
People from Stepney
People educated at Tonbridge School
Academics of the University of Buckingham
Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford
Alumni of King's College London
Fellows of King's College London
Alumni of the London School of Economics
Alumni of the University of Westminster
English biographers
English historians
English Jews
Headmasters of Brighton College
Masters of Wellington College, Berkshire
Knights Bachelor
Heads of schools in London
Fellows of the Royal Historical Society
Heads of schools in England
People associated with the University of Buckingham
Schoolteachers from Berkshire
Schoolteachers from Wiltshire