Philippa has played a key role in crafting, challenging and championing education policy in her various roles in the public and voluntary sector. Her professional background is in teaching and school inspection work.

When she joined the Council for Disabled Children, she set up the Special Educational Consortium to create a national campaigning voice on the education of disabled children and set about helping to establish and develop parent partnership services (now known as Information, Advice and Support services). She has worked in Parliament during the passage of legislation; reviewed inclusion in one of our most inclusive local authorities; contributed to the development of several Codes of Practice; was seconded into the DfE as SEN and disability professional adviser; advised on an inclusive early years project in Europe; leads a DfE-funded project to increase access and inclusion in the early years; and works as part of the team providing support to the DfE as strategic reform partner.