Michael Gove as Education Secretary

British Conservative Party politician Michael Gove served as Secretary of State for Education from 2010 to 2014.

Gove was appointed as Education Secretary with the formation of the Cameron-Clegg coalition, having previously been the shadow secretary of state for children, schools and families. His earliest moves included reorganising his department, announcing plans to allow schools rated as Outstanding by Ofsted to become academies, and cutting the previous government's school-building programme.

He opened the National Pupil Database and introduced the phonics check, a reading test for year 1 pupils. The later parts of his tenure were dominated by the Trojan Horse scandal. During his Education Secretaryship, Gove was criticised by teachers unions and academic associations for his attempts to overhaul British education. He left the role when he was moved by Prime Minister David Cameron to the office of chief whip in the 2014 cabinet reshuffle.