An adviser who has worked as Nick Gibb’s teacher in residence at the Department for Education is set to become the head of education in the Downing Street Policy Unit, Tes understands.
It is understood that Rory Gribbell is replacing Elena Narozanski, who is taking a job elsewhere in government.
Mr Gribbell has worked closely with Mr Gibb and the move will be seen as increasing the long-standing minister’s influence over government policy.
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Mr Gibb, the driving force behind phonics and the reformed national curriculum, has been the longest-serving schools minister of recent years, having first been appointed by David Cameron in 2010.
Downing Street has been approached for a comment on Mr Gribbell’s move to the education role in the Policy Unit.
The DfE’s teacher in residence scheme allows serving teachers to be seconded to work for the department. Mr Gribbell’s work there has involved him supporting Mr Gibb in his role, advising on policy and writing speeches.
Mr Gribbell is a former Teach First trained teacher and was a member of the Labour Party.
But five years ago he wrote for the Conservative Education Society about how the Left’s opposition to academies and free schools had led to his leaving the Labour Party.
Tes revealed in August last year that Ms Narozanski was being appointed as the head of education at the No 10 Policy Unit. She is named as having been appointed by Boris Johnson last year in the Cabinet Office’s annual report on special advisers working for the government.
Ms Narozanski is a former adviser to Michael Gove, and began working for him in the role of children and schools adviser when the Conservatives were in opposition.
After the 2010 election, she was appointed special adviser to the new education secretary, a post she stayed in until February 2011.
She became Mr Gove’s chief speechwriter in June 2011.
The No 10 Policy Unit is headed up by Munira Mirza, who also has an education background, having been the former deputy London mayor for education when Mr Johnson was the city’s mayor.
