Since January 2012, Sir Jon Coles has been Group Chief Executive of United Learning, a group of over 100 academies and independent schools founded in the 19th century. Prior to this, he spent much of his career in the Department for Education after qualifying as a teacher, including four years on its board as Director General for Schools. Before that, he was Director of 14-19 Reform and Director of London Challenge, wrote various green and white Papers, took the 2002 Education Act through Parliament, implemented the infant class size pledge and developed a strategy for e-government on secondment to the Cabinet Office.