Biography: Sheila Scales
Sheila Scales worked in various policy roles in the Department for Education and its predecessor bodies, retiring in 2009 as Director responsible for early years education and childcare, extended schools and special educational needs.
She took time off to work as a development planner in the South Pacific, have four children, and swap lives with a New Zealand family for 6 months.
Career highlights include work on establishing the National Curriculum, setting up Ofsted, publishing the first performance tables, setting up the literacy and numeracy schemes which became the National Strategies, managing the first interventions in failing local authorities and securing the delivery of 3,500 Sure Start Children’s Centres.
Since her retirement Sheila has moved to Hackney and started training as a Citizen’s Advice volunteer advisor, as well as sitting on the Governing Body of the City Academy.