David Bell (university administrator)

Sir David Robert Bell KCB (Born March 1959, Glasgow) is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading. He was previously Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education and its predecessor departments from 3 January 2006 until 2012. Before that he was Chief Inspector of Schools at the Office for Standards in Education from 2002.

Bell studied history and philosophy at Glasgow University and obtained his PGCE from Jordanhill College of Education. He also has a Master of Education degree in management and administration from Glasgow University. Bell then held teaching posts at primary schools in Glasgow, moving on to become a deputy head, and then a headteacher at Kingston Primary School, in Thundersley, Essex.

In 1990, Bell became assistant director of education at Newcastle City Council. During this time he spent a year as a Harkness Fellow at Georgia State University, Atlanta, studying education and local government reform across the United States of America. Bell trained as an Ofsted team inspector in 1993. He became a Registered Inspector in 1994 and carried out inspections in primary schools. He was promoted to director of education and libraries at Newcastle City Council in 1995 and became chief executive of Bedfordshire County Council in 2000.

Bell took up his post as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools on 1 May 2002. He was Chief Inspector for over three years and, in January 2006, he became Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education and Skills, named the Department for Children, Schools and Families from June 2007, and then the Department for Education from May 2010.

In 2012, Sir David left the civil service to become the Vice Chancellor of the University of Reading, despite never having been an academic. He succeeded Gordon Marshall.

Reading Controversy

Public opinion swayed against Sir David in March 2016 with staff running a vote of no confidence against him as head of the University executive. Students and staff also disrupted the University's 90th Birthday celebrations, preventing a planned record breaking chairlift attempt. This was following his decision to spend £36 million on a consultation with PwC in a move to reorganise the entire administrative structure of the University of Reading within one year. It is suggested as many as 1700 jobs have been put at risk, and these moves were decided without disclosure or consultation with staff or students.In the same year as many staff were faced with redundancy or downgrading, he was awarded a £26,000 pay increase, whilst already earning over a quarter of a million pounds per year.

Bell was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2011 Birthday Honours.