What was your highlight of 2025?
It has to be the progress we’ve made on Best Start in Life – the government’s strategy for ensuring every child has access to high quality early education, family support and health. I am particularly proud of our work to expand childcare to 30 funded hours for over half a million parents – so that every working family has childcare from the moment maternity leave ends to the start of school. This was a huge challenge, as we needed to create new systems, grow the childcare workforce and places to a very tight timeline, and make sure parents could get the spaces promised, under intense scrutiny. Teams across government have worked tirelessly with local authorities and the early years sector to deliver brilliantly – on time, and with over 90% of parents saying they got the place they wanted – and it is making a tangible difference to thousands of families’ lives.
What was the hardest part of being a leader in 2025?
One of the toughest challenges has been helping people disagree well. We live in a world where it increasingly feels like many people struggle to respect or like someone they disagree with. As civil servants, we have to model something different. Creating space for constructive disagreement means listening deeply, being curious, and reminding teams that diversity of thought is a strength, not a threat. When we get this right, we make better decisions – and we build stronger, more resilient teams – as well as modelling something that builds better societies.
What are the main challenges facing your department in the coming year?
Looking ahead, the biggest challenge is reforming the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system – because every child deserves the best possible education. This is complex, urgent, and matters profoundly to families. We need a system that prioritises early intervention, local and fair provision, and strong partnerships. That means working with colleagues across government – in DHSC, MHCLG, DWP, MoJ, HMT, No.10 and the Cabinet Office – but perhaps more importantly, it means looking outwards from government. Delivering meaningful change will require close engagement with families and partners at every step – and earlier this month we kicked off our national conversation, so that we’re co-creating and shaping the reform together.
Which celebrity or historical figure would you choose to turn on the Christmas lights in your town?
I’d choose Leonardo da Vinci. Imagine the wonder of seeing Christmas lights through his eyes – as inventor, or artist, or both. Perhaps he’d sketch a new design for the lights on the spot, or dream up an entirely new way to electrify them (and us). Either way, it would be unforgettable.
Read all the entries to this year's perm secs round up here