Peter Housden
Encyclopedia
Sir Peter James Housden KCB
(born 1950) is Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government since July 2010. http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2010/100521-housden.aspx He was previously Permanent Secretary of the Department for Communities and Local Government
.
Housden is unusual for a senior civil servant, having been educated at a comprehensive school, and having neither graduated from Oxbridge
nor worked in the Civil Service for a great number of years.
He was educated at Grove Comprehensive School, Market Drayton, Shropshire and at the University of Essex
where he took a First in Social Science. After graduating in 1973, Peter Housden began his career as a comprehensive school
teacher in Shropshire
and worked as an education officer in three county LEAs before being appointed as Director of Education
in Nottinghamshire
in 1991. In 1994, Peter was appointed as Chief Executive and in his seven years in that post managed Nottinghamshire County Council through Local Government Review and a wide-ranging programme of modernisation. In September 2000 he was seconded to the Audit Commission
for six months to lead their work on the NHS
National Plan.
Housden joined the Department for Education and Skills in November 2001 as Director General for Schools. He had overall responsibility for all the Department's work in schools and in early years, and for current priorities on primary standards and secondary reform. He held this role until his appointment as Permanent Secretary of ODPM in 2005. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page8224
Peter Housden is an associate fellow of Warwick Business School
at the University of Warwick
, and a Trustee of the Work Foundation. His publications include 'Local Statesman', an oral history of post-war local government in Nottinghamshire published by the Local Government Centre, Warwick University in 2000, and 'Bucking the Market: LEAs and Special Needs' (NASEN, 1993).
Housden was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2010 Birthday Honours.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(born 1950) is Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government since July 2010. http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2010/100521-housden.aspx He was previously Permanent Secretary of the Department for Communities and Local Government
Department for Communities and Local Government
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the UK Government department for communities and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001...
.
Housden is unusual for a senior civil servant, having been educated at a comprehensive school, and having neither graduated from Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
nor worked in the Civil Service for a great number of years.
He was educated at Grove Comprehensive School, Market Drayton, Shropshire and at the University of Essex
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
where he took a First in Social Science. After graduating in 1973, Peter Housden began his career as a comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
teacher in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
and worked as an education officer in three county LEAs before being appointed as Director of Education
Director of Education
The Director of Education was a position in the Hong Kong Government, who heads the Education Department.- History:As a result of restructuring in 1983, the old Education Department was reorganised into the Education and Manpower Branch and the Education Department...
in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
in 1991. In 1994, Peter was appointed as Chief Executive and in his seven years in that post managed Nottinghamshire County Council through Local Government Review and a wide-ranging programme of modernisation. In September 2000 he was seconded to the Audit Commission
Audit Commission
The Audit Commission is a public corporation in the United Kingdom.The Commission’s primary objective is to improve economy, efficiency and effectiveness in local government, housing and the health service, directly through the audit and inspection process and also through value for money...
for six months to lead their work on the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
National Plan.
Housden joined the Department for Education and Skills in November 2001 as Director General for Schools. He had overall responsibility for all the Department's work in schools and in early years, and for current priorities on primary standards and secondary reform. He held this role until his appointment as Permanent Secretary of ODPM in 2005. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page8224
Peter Housden is an associate fellow of Warwick Business School
Warwick Business School
Warwick Business School, also known as WBS, was established in 1967 as the School of Industrial and Business Studies.It offers undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD degree programmes,as well as non-degree executive education for individuals and companies....
at the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
, and a Trustee of the Work Foundation. His publications include 'Local Statesman', an oral history of post-war local government in Nottinghamshire published by the Local Government Centre, Warwick University in 2000, and 'Bucking the Market: LEAs and Special Needs' (NASEN, 1993).
Housden was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2010 Birthday Honours.