David Cracknell

David Cracknell taught secondary French and spent a period in university lecturing and teacher training. He worked in local authority management posts in Warwickshire, Leeds and Wakefield before becoming Deputy Chief Education Officer and Chief Adviser for East Sussex County Council. Then as Director of Education and Community for Cheshire County Council he had responsibilities covering Schools, Youth Service, Family and Lifelong Learning, Libraries, Arts, Archives, Museums, Community Development, Social Enterprise, Trading Standards, Registration and Animal Health.

David was appointed Professor in Education at the University of Chester in 2005 where he contributes to postgraduate professional development and initial training of teachers, providing professional support for the University’s academies. He runs a multi-professional programme of leadership training and workforce development for Children's Services for public and voluntary sector organisations, in collaboration with the University’s Business School. David has been a board member of a number of national organisations promoting learning and the wellbeing of children and young people, including the National Children’s Bureau. He chaired a national committee advising on the reform of the National Curriculum, the Blackburn with Darwen Education Improvement Partnership and other related Improvement Partnership Boards. In 1997 he was elected national President of the Society of Education Officers with a broad involvement in the formulation of national policy and also chaired the Board of the Virtual Staff College. He still maintains a role in the policy, research and development work of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services.

In a voluntary capacity David currently chairs the Boards of Adoption Matters North-West (child adoption/family support) and CapeUK (promoting creativity in learning in schools and communities). David has provided consultancy for Government Departments in England, Northern Ireland and Jordan as well as writing on Primary French, Performance-Related Pay, Multi-Professional Working, Creativity and Special Educational Needs.