Department for Education Science Advisory Council
Provides independent advice to the Department for Education to maximise the quality of scientific research informing policy development and delivery.
Role
The role of the Department for Education Science Advisory Council (DfE SAC) is to support the DfE Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) in providing independent scientific advice to DfE on matters relevant to its policy development and delivery.
The council was established in 2024 and is formed of up to 12 independent experts.
Membership
- Athene Donald (Chair), Professor Emerita of Experimental Physics, University of Cambridge
- Mark Mon-Williams (Deputy Chair), Chair of Cognitive Psychology, University of Leeds
- Chris Bonell, Professor of Public Health and Sociology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
- William J Browne, Professor of Statistics and Head of the School of Education, University of Bristol
- Claire Crawford, Professor at the Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities, University College London
- Michael Cribb, Chartered Structural Engineer and Associate Director, Arup
- Dougal Hargreaves, Professor of Paediatrics and Population Health, Imperial College London
- Sonya Krutikova, Professor of Economics, University of Manchester, and Deputy Research Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies
- Rose Luckin, FRSA, Professor Emerita of Learner Centred Design at University College London
- Amy Orben, Programme Leader of the Digital Mental Health Research Programme, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge
- Paul Ramchandani, LEGO Professor of Play in Education, Learning and Development, University of Cambridge
- Michael J Reiss, Professor of Science Education at the Institute of Education, University of London and University College London
SAC meetings are attended by DfE Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Michael Thomas, a DfE non-executive board member and other officials as required.
Members of SAC must declare any significant political activity, and this is detailed in the .
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Terms of reference
It is within SAC’s responsibility to:
- provide independent scientific advice to DfE on matters relevant to its policy development and delivery
- support the work of the DfE CSA by acting as a forum for the discussion of science and technology within DfE
- identify and share relevant emerging scientific or technological advances or trends with relevant DfE officials
- facilitate effective links between DfE, the wider scientific community and stakeholder groups
SAC members may suggest areas of work, but the SAC will work only on topics with the agreement of the DfE CSA.
Members
Members are expected to attend quarterly plenary meetings and contribute to short-turnaround requests where possible. DfE may also request advice from the SAC on an ad hoc basis or in an emergency. As well as responding to incoming work, members should proactively share their ideas and knowledge where they consider it will add value.
Members are appointed by the DfE CSA for an initial 3-year term, following a fair and open competition. They may be reappointed, but their total tenure on the SAC will not exceed 9 years. The length of reappointment term may be between one and 3 years to allow for the staggered renewal of the SAC. The annual time commitment will be up to 8 days.
Members are not remunerated for their time, but will be able to claim reasonable travel and subsistence costs in line with DfE policy for non-civil servants.
Members should abide by The Seven Principles of Public Life and are expected to declare any potential conflicts of interest.
Chair and Deputy Chair
The same expectations apply to the Chair and Deputy Chair. Additionally, the Chair is responsible for ensuring that the SAC’s aims are being met and for working with the SAC Secretariat and DfE CSA to structure the SAC’s workplan.
The Chair is responsible for chairing quarterly SAC meetings and working with the DfE CSA to shape the strategic direction of the SAC’s work. They may also be consulted by the Secretariat to ensure the balance of members’ skills is appropriate for any of the SAC’s tasks.
The Deputy Chair supports the work of the Chair and acts as Chair in the event of their absence.
The Chair and Deputy Chair are appointed for a 3-year term by the DfE CSA following a fair and open competition. They may be reappointed for up to a further 3 years. The annual time commitment will be up to 10 days.
They will not be remunerated for their time, but will be able to claim reasonable travel and subsistence costs in line with DfE policy for non-civil servants.
Meetings
Plenary meetings will be held quarterly and be attended by the DfE CSA, a DfE non-executive board member and other relevant DfE officials. Smaller, task-relevant meetings and workshops will occur as needed, in response to departmental requests. Where appropriate, senior officials from DfE and its agencies will attend SAC meetings.
Outputs and publications
The outputs of the SAC may include programmes of work, meeting agendas, minutes and reports on specific topics. These will be made publicly available, where possible.
Governance
The SAC operates in accordance with the Government Office for Science’s code of practice on scientific advisory committees and reports to the DfE CSA.
Secretariat
DfE officials provide the secretariat function to SAC. The Secretariat is the first point of contact for the SAC Chair and members. With the CSA and SAC Chair, it develops the SAC’s workplan, aligning commissions from DfE officials, suggestions from SAC members, and departmental priorities. The Secretariat is responsible for compiling the register of interests of SAC members.
Sub-groups
The SAC may establish time-limited sub-groups in relation to emergencies or to carry out in-depth studies and other pieces of work. These will usually be chaired by a SAC member. Sub-groups may also include co-opted members who can provide appropriate expertise. The Secretariat for sub-groups will usually be held by relevant policy teams rather than by the core SAC Secretariat.
Minutes
Minutes of plenary meetings are available:
Publications
The SAC AI and Digital Education working group published its Principles for evidence-informed policymaking in fast-changing technology contexts research report in September 2026.