Education
He passed the eleven plus and attended the Oakwood Technical High School (now the Oakwood Technology College) in Rotherham and Bournemouth Boys" School (a grammar school). He studied for a Bachelor of Science in chemistry at the University of Durham before going on to do a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at the University of Nottingham, followed by 12 years in the classroom as a science teacher, including some time on secondment to Imperial Chemical Industries as a schools liaison officer in 1977.
Career
Teaching
From 1969-1977, he was head of chemistry at Ashby-de-la-Zouch Grammar School (a comprehensive school and now called Ashby School) in Leicestershire. Education administration
In 1978 he joined Her Majesty"s Inspectorate of Schools (now Ofsted) and, in this capacity, helped to re-establish the education system in Kuwait following the first Gulf War. In 1989, he became chief inspector (secondary).
In November 2000 when Chris Woodhead resigned, he became Chief Inspector of Schools, a post which he held until his retirement in 2002.
Retirement
Shortly after his retirement, he led an enquiry (the Tomlinson Enquiry) into the controversy surrounding A-level grading, and was then appointed chair of the 14–19 Working Group in 2003. Since 2008, he has been chief adviser for London Schools in the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
In 1997 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Tomlinson was made a knight in the New Year"s Honours list of 31 December 2004. British Broadcasting Corporation Profile September 2002
Independent article April 2002
Independent article February 2001.
Membership
He is also a governor of the University of Hertfordshire, a member of the boards of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the National Assessment Agency, a member of the Public Engagement group of the Science Museum, and a fellow and a member of the council of the Royal Society of Arts.
