Sonia Blandford

Dame Sonia Blandford is a British teacher and academic who is a professor of Social Mobility at University College London. Blandford is an expert in improving the educational opportunities of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. She is the founder and CEO of the charity Achievement for All.

Early life and education Blandford grew up above a sweet shop in an estate in Feltham. Her father learned to read and write as an adult, and her mother could not read or write. At the age of nine, Blandford got her first job, rolling balls of wool, and she failed her eleven-plus examinations. She has said that she her local libraries and school teachers showed her that another life was possible. Despite constant setbacks, Blandford earned a position at Bretton Hall College of Education. She says that other children were encouraged not to play with her because of her accent.

Research and career Blandford joined Oxford Brookes University as a senior lecturer. She was eventually made dean of their education programme, before moving to the University of Warwick.

Blandford was a music teacher in the 1980s. She has argued that there is an uneven educational playing field for wealthy children compared to their less well off counterparts, particularly in literacy, writing and mathematics. She has also shown that the gap is more stark for girls than boys. To encourage young people to read, she launched the 200 million minutes reading challenge.

Blandford worked as a professor of Social Mobility at Plymouth Marjon University.

Blandford was appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire in the 2026 New Year Honours.

Selected publications

Books