From Scotswood Road to Alexandra House

Abstract

Chris Marshall graduated in psychology at the University of Durham in 1964. After teaching in Croydon he was appointed an assistant educational psychologist (EP) in Newcastle upon Tyne, subsequently doing his formal EP training at Birmingham University. Some research on seven–year–old readers led to an M.Ed. from Newcastle upon Tyne and in 1970 he returned to Durham as a lecturer in the Institute of Education, tutoring the one–year diploma course in remedial education. In 1976 he became principal educational psychologist of Northamptonshire. He was also involved in part–time teaching and tutoring for the Open University, including the course on the teaching of reading. In 1978 he was appointed HMI, where he remained until his retirement in 2001. He became leader of the special needs team in 1984 and in 1987 the professional head of the Assessment of Performance Unit. He subsequently acted as adviser to the DfEE on assessment, and on appeals and complaints in relation to the 1981 Education Act. He was involved in the setting up of the SEN Tribunal. The final part of his career from 1996 was again as the special needs team leader for HMI, now part of Ofsted.