Sir Bruce Liddington was the schools commissioner in 2006 under Tony Blair's Government. He came from a poor area of Wellingborough and did his degree in English at Queen Mary College, and a PGCE in Cambridge. He started his teaching career in Conisbrough, and rose to headteacher at Northampton School for Boys which he improved then and changed its status from a LEA school to a grant maintained school. For this he received a knighthood.