Tony Tait BSc Econ (Hons), MA, PGCE

Tony Tait works as an independent advisor and consultant in learning and skills. He has more than thirty years experience working as a teacher, manager, researcher and advisor in local and national government.

Tony led policy, research and development activity on qualifications, unitisation and credit for LSN and its predecessor organisations (LSDA, FEDA, FEU) from many years. He also worked as a programme manager leading major national support programmes.

Prior to working for FEU Tony spent 16 years working as a lecturer and manager in FE colleges. He also worked as an LEA adviser and subsequently as the manager of a major support programme for 300+ teachers and lecturers across London. He has also worked in higher education at the University of London.

Tony has achieved a national reputation for pioneering work on unitisation and credit. He carried out research and wrote the first proposal for a unit and credit based qualifications system - A Basis for Credit? (1992). He is the author of many publications on qualifications frameworks, credit and unitisation including :Discussing Credit (1993), A Framework for Credit (1995), The 2020 Vision - why we need a credit-based qualifications system.(1997), Qualifications for IT (LSDA 1999), Credit systems for Learning and Skills. (LSDA 2003) and LSDA responds: A Framework for Achievement (2005).

As part of his work for LSDA Tony worked as an adviser to a wide range of organisations including the Cabinet Office, DfES, LSC, QCA and awarding bodies.. He has also advised governments in other countries within the UK and beyond. In 2004 he was asked by the Tomlinson 14-19 Working Group to prepare a paper on the application of credit to the proposed diploma system. This was incorporated into the final working group report.

Tony has also written more than thirty publications and contributed articles and reports to many educational newspapers and journals. He has led a wide range of events for the LSN and other organisation and spoken on many platforms with leaders in the education policy community, including ministers.