About me

Russell Hobby

I am chief executive of Teach First and a board member or adviser to several charities and think tanks. Previously, I was general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers for seven years and, before that, a management consultant. I have worked as a cleaner, a checkout assistant, a solderer in a solar panel factory, a box packer and a salesperson.

This site holds my personal thoughts and does not represent the views or positions of any organisation I work for or with, past or present.

A great deal of my work is in education and particularly trying to build a fair education for all – reducing the gap in outcomes between rich and poor. This is Teach First’s basic mission; see also the Fair Education Alliance for more on this topic (I am a trustee). I am a particular fan of school leaders. The best of what I have learnt came from the best of them.

I am also interested in charities and trade unions, as well as management in all its forms.

I divide my time between Brighton and London. My family are important to me and I enjoy running and cycling. I hold the record for what I think may be the slowest ever time to complete a triathlon. I read a lot of science fiction.

I went to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where I studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics. I was raised near Oxford in Abingdon by my mum, who was a primary teacher her entire career and later, when she retired, mayor of the town. My brother is president of Cure SMA in the USA and my partner, Victoria Barlow, is a consultant in comms and membership for charities and trade unions.