When Boris Johnson carried out his Cabinet reshuffle last month, it came as no surprise to most that beleaguered education secretary Gavin Williamson was shown the door.

But the departure of schools minister Nick Gibb, who has been a mainstay in government for most of the past decade, sent shockwaves through the sector.

With skills minister Gillian Keegan and children’s minister Vicky Ford also making an exit, it appeared the prime minister had paved the way for a fresh start at the Department for Education, choosing to retain only universities minister Michelle Donelan - whom he also awarded a seat in Cabinet.

Exclusive: Gibb adviser promoted in DfE shake-up

Reshuffle: Nick Gibb leaving schools minister role

DfE: Nadhim Zahawi appointed new education secretary

But these moves only told half the story. As ministers come and go, so do those working behind the scenes. And with such a major reshuffle taking place at the DfE, a shake-up in politically appointed special advisers (SpAds) was inevitable. There have also been some changes to the chain of command for civil servant policy advisers.

Following a final vetting process by the government, Tes can reveal which key staff are moving in and out of the department in the wake of the ministerial reshuffle.

Who’s in Nadhim Zahawi’s new DfE team?

Here’s your guide to who’s who in the new-look DfE:

Special advisers

These are politically appointed temporary civil servants, providing party political advice and support to ministers. Unlike mainstream civil servants, they do not have to be impartial.

IN: Mark Lehain, policy special adviser to Nadhim Zahawi

Former headteacher Mark Lehain, currently director of the Campaign for Common Sense, has been appointed special adviser to education secretary Nadhim Zahawi on policy issues, focusing on schools and children’s services.

Mr Lehain previously stood as the Conservative candidate for Newcastle North in the 2019 general election, but lost out to Labour’s Catherine McKinnell.

Prior to that, he was director of Parents and Teachers for Excellence, and principal of Bedford Free School.

Mr Gibb can rest in comfort from the backbenches knowing that the education secretary’s new adviser was an advocate for his reforms in his role at PTE and had credited the former schools minister with showing him the importance of a knowledge-rich curriculum.

IN: James Price, parliamentary special adviser to Nadhim Zahawi

James Price is a former president of the Oxford Union Society and a senior account director at Hanover Communications, but has worked as a government adviser previously.

He was a special adviser to the Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Evans, from 2018 until last year.

Before this he worked as a policy analyst and as a campaigns manager for the TaxPayers’ Alliance and also worked for the Conservative Party as a campaigns team leader in the build-up to the 2015 general election.

IN: Tom Kennedy, communications special adviser to Nadhim Zahawi

Tom Kennedy has also worked in the office of the Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Evans, and before this was a parliamentary staffer and campaigns assistant for Hereford and South Herefordshire Conservative MP Jesse Norman.

OUT: Angus Walker, special adviser to Gavin Williamson

Former broadcast journalist Angus Walker has left his role after roughly 18 months as a special adviser.

Prior to working in Sanctuary Buildings, Mr Walker had a successful career in the media world spanning 25 years.

He was political correspondent for ITN from 2017 to 2020, and China correspondent for ITV News from 2010 to 2013.

MOVED: Iain Mansfield, former special adviser to Gavin Williamson, now advising universities minister Michelle Donelan

Iain Mansfield was appointed as special adviser to the former education secretary in February last year.

Despite Mr Williamson’s demotion, Mr Mansfield has been kept on as a special adviser but focusing on higher education and further education. 

Formerly head of education, skills, science and innovation at the Policy Exchange thinktank, Mr Mansfield has also served as special adviser to Jo Johnson and Kwasi Kwarteng, when they were universities and science minister and energy minister, respectively.

Prior to that, he was a senior civil servant at the DfE, where he was responsible for the design of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF).

He has written for Conservative Home and higher education policy site Wonkhe, as well as for the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), The Telegraph, The Times and Tes.

Other policy advisers

These are mainstream civil servants whose role is to provide politically impartial advice.

IN: Will Bickford Smith, schools policy adviser to Nadhim Zahawi

As revealed by Tes, Will Bickford Smith, who advised Mr Gibb across his portfolio, with a particular focus on delivering controversial reforms to teacher training, has been made schools policy adviser to the new secretary of state. 

It is understood that the new schools minister, Robin Walker, unlike his predecessor, will not have his own adviser, in line with most junior ministers. 

A Teach First graduate, Mr Bickford Smith taught citizenship and A-level politics before becoming a management consultant and then joining the DfE in 2018.

As well as working on teacher recruitment and T levels at the DfE, Mr Bickford Smith has commented publicly on the importance of “evidence-based” behaviour strategies.

In a blog last year, he said the biggest challenge he had faced as a teacher had been behaviour because “every lesson felt like a constant battle to be listened to”.

The emphasis at the time was on managing this through creating “engaging” lessons, he wrote, going on to praise “evidence-based methods to manage behaviour effectively, drawing on the work of experts like Doug Lemov and Tom Bennett”.

STAYING: Nigel Thomas, technical education policy adviser to Nadhim Zahawi

Nigel Thomas, who is currently seconded to the DfE from the Gatsby Foundation, will stay on as technical education policy adviser to the secretary of state.

He was previously seconded to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (now the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) as a senior policy adviser to the minister for apprenticeships and skills.

The Gatsby Foundation aims to strengthen education in the UK - particularly science and engineering skills - by informing national policy.

The charity is known for its “Gatsby Benchmarks”, which serve as a framework for improving careers provision in schools and colleges.

STAYING: Patrick Spencer, families policy adviser to Nadhim Zahawi

Patrick Spencer is also staying on in his role as families adviser to the secretary of state.

Formerly head of work and welfare policy at the Centre for Social Justice, Mr Spencer has worked in the DfE for around a year.

In 2019, he wrote a blog arguing that the Conservatives “should be proud of their record on education”.

Mr Spencer claimed that the outcomes achieved by reforms including mass academisation; the introduction of the pupil premium and universal free school meals for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2; the EBacc, Attainment 8 and Progress 8 measures; tougher Sats; and the emphasis on teaching children to read using phonics, “speak volumes”.

“There is little doubt though that reforms to our education system have been among the most successful efforts to improve life chances for many of the most vulnerable in Britain,” he wrote, adding: “For this Conservatives should shout loud and be proud.”