Peter Lampl
Encyclopedia
Sir Peter Lampl, OBE
(born 1947) is a British philanthropist and Chairman of the Sutton Trust
.
and as the family later moved he was educated at Reigate Grammar School
and Pate's (Cheltenham) Grammar School
. He has said that the contrast between the Oxbridge
entrance rates from these two schools alerted him to the differences in educational opportunity in Britain. He studied at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
and the London Business School
.
Lampl worked outside Britain for over twenty years, initially as a management consultant with The Boston Consulting Group
in Boston, Massachusetts
and Munich, Germany
, and then as an executive at International Paper
. In 1983 he created The Sutton Company, a private equity firm, and by the mid 1990s had become extremely wealthy.
or another Russell Group
university", noting that his old grammar school was now "all fee-paying" and his old Oxford college "used to have lots of ordinary Welsh kids, but they’re not coming through any more."
His first intervention was the creation of the Oxford Summer School, which gives bright 17-year-olds (from families where no one has been to university) the opportunity to spend a week at Oxford living in college, going to seminars and "hanging out with students who are already there." With government assistance the scheme has since been rolled out to ten other top universities.
Lampl founded the Sutton Trust
"to improve educational opportunities for young people from non-privileged backgrounds and increase social mobility." The trust funds a variety of research, campaigning and philanthropical projects, including the "Open Access" experiment which funds 70% of places at the academically selective Belvedere School in Liverpool, a scheme which Lampl says the state should eventually expand to 100 or 200 independent schools who would like to provide "needs-blind" admissions. In this model:
Former Education Secretary Estelle Morris
once suggested that "Given a free hand, he'd re-create the grammar schools. He wants to repeat for others what worked for him." Lampl, however, declines to attribute decreased social mobility to the abolition/large-scale diminution of grammar schools. "It is a combination of schools and universities which has done that."
Lampl was awarded an OBE in 1999 for services to Access to Higher Education, and knighted in the Queen's Birthday list in June 2003.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 1947) is a British philanthropist and Chairman of the Sutton Trust
Sutton Trust
The Sutton Trust is an educational charity in the United Kingdom which aims to provide educational opportunities to young people from non-privileged backgrounds...
.
Personal life
His father was a Czech refugee who came to Britain in 1938. Lampl was born in WakefieldWakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
and as the family later moved he was educated at Reigate Grammar School
Reigate Grammar School
Reigate Grammar School is an independent co-educational day school located in the town of Reigate, Surrey, United Kingdom. Intake is from 11 to 18, with the majority of its pupils entering at the age of 11, and others entering at 13 and 16.- History :...
and Pate's (Cheltenham) Grammar School
Pate's Grammar School
Pate's Grammar School is a voluntary aided, selective grammar school in the Hesters Way area of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England catering for pupils aged 11 to 18. It was granted Language College status in 2001, is a Beacon school, and in February 2006 was one of the first in the country to be...
. He has said that the contrast between the 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...
entrance rates from these two schools alerted him to the differences in educational opportunity in Britain. He studied at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
and the London Business School
London Business School
London Business School is an international business school and a constituent college of the federal University of London, located in central London, beside Regent's Park...
.
Lampl worked outside Britain for over twenty years, initially as a management consultant with The Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group
The Boston Consulting Group is a global management consulting firm with offices in 42 countries. It is recognized as one of the most prestigious management consulting firms in the world. It is one of only three companies to appear in the top 15 of Fortunes "Best Companies to Work For" report for...
in Boston, Massachusetts
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Munich, Germany
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, and then as an executive at International Paper
International Paper
International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 59,500 employees, and it is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:...
. In 1983 he created The Sutton Company, a private equity firm, and by the mid 1990s had become extremely wealthy.
Educational philanthropy
On his return from America Lampl was appalled to discover that nowadays "a kid like me had little to no chance of making it to OxbridgeOxbridge
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...
or another Russell Group
Russell Group
The Russell Group is a collaboration of twenty UK universities that together receive two-thirds of research grant and contract funding in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1994 to represent their interests to the government, parliament and other similar bodies...
university", noting that his old grammar school was now "all fee-paying" and his old Oxford college "used to have lots of ordinary Welsh kids, but they’re not coming through any more."
His first intervention was the creation of the Oxford Summer School, which gives bright 17-year-olds (from families where no one has been to university) the opportunity to spend a week at Oxford living in college, going to seminars and "hanging out with students who are already there." With government assistance the scheme has since been rolled out to ten other top universities.
Lampl founded the Sutton Trust
Sutton Trust
The Sutton Trust is an educational charity in the United Kingdom which aims to provide educational opportunities to young people from non-privileged backgrounds...
"to improve educational opportunities for young people from non-privileged backgrounds and increase social mobility." The trust funds a variety of research, campaigning and philanthropical projects, including the "Open Access" experiment which funds 70% of places at the academically selective Belvedere School in Liverpool, a scheme which Lampl says the state should eventually expand to 100 or 200 independent schools who would like to provide "needs-blind" admissions. In this model:
Former Education Secretary Estelle Morris
Estelle Morris
Estelle Morris, Baroness Morris of Yardley, PC was a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley from 1992 to 2005, and served briefly in the Cabinet as Education Secretary.-Early life:...
once suggested that "Given a free hand, he'd re-create the grammar schools. He wants to repeat for others what worked for him." Lampl, however, declines to attribute decreased social mobility to the abolition/large-scale diminution of grammar schools. "It is a combination of schools and universities which has done that."
Lampl was awarded an OBE in 1999 for services to Access to Higher Education, and knighted in the Queen's Birthday list in June 2003.
External links
- Estelle Morris Meets Sir Peter Lampl (30 minute interview on teachers.tv)
See also
- Sutton TrustSutton TrustThe Sutton Trust is an educational charity in the United Kingdom which aims to provide educational opportunities to young people from non-privileged backgrounds...