Phil has been the Lead Adviser: Schools for Action on Access since 2004 and also acts as a regional adviser supporting Aimhigher partnerships. He has written a range of papers and publications on widening participation and the school agenda. He is a regular speaker at national conferences and has also carried out international research into widening participation. Until 2006 he was responsible for 14-19 transition policy and Aimhigher at Nottingham City Education Authority. In this role he sat on a range of regional bodies involved in the strategic planning for widening participation policies. He was a teacher in 14-19 colleges for many years having a wide range of roles and responsibilities.

He is also a special lecturer at the University of Nottingham’s School of Education and acts as the 14-19 adviser at the university’s Centre for International ePortfolio Development. He has published work on ePortfolios and is especially interested in how they can support widening participation. He has presented his work at international conferences.