Farewell Sir Cyril Taylor

22 Dec 2007

So it's farewell, then, to Sir Cyril. It just won't seem the same without the man who has been an education advisor to every single Education Secretary from Kenneth Baker to Alan Johnson.

 Sir Cyril was rather unceremoniously voted out of his role as Chairman of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust last week. The reason: he had lost the support of secondary head teachers and had little real support left on the SSAT. 

 It was interesting that - as the storm clouds gathered over him - there was no move from government to defend him.  Ed Balls had not reappointed him as an advisor. 

 It is tough for Sir Cyril to be ousted like this although I gather he was offered the chance to go more gracefully but wanted to fight on.

 It is the end of an era. But he has a lot to look back on as the champion of first CTCs and then specialist schools and City Academies. He has certainly left his mark. 

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