Our President

Distinguished educationalist, historian and author Lord Alistair Lexden OBE has been President of CIFE since 2015.

He was created a working peer with the title of Lord Lexden in December 2010 and is official historian to the Conservative Party and of the Carlton Club. From 1997 to 2004 he was General Secretary of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) where 80 per cent of pupils in the independent sector are educated. He acted as their principal representative in discussions with government ministers and officials and oversaw the Council's briefing of the media on issues relating to independent schools. His achievements at the ISC included steering the committee which led to the creation of the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), which inspects schools in the private sector including now many CIFE colleges.

Accepting the role as CIFE President Lord Lexden said: “I look forward to representing CIFE colleges on a number of important issues, both inside and outside Parliament. This sector has always responded swiftly to changes in our education system.”

Every year Lord Lexden hosts the CIFE Academic Awards Ceremony for high achieving CIFE students and their families on the terrace of the House of Lords. Introducing the most recent ceremony for award winners across a diverse range of academic and creative areas he said: “Families here and around the world send their children to CIFE’s successful member colleges which specialise in preparing students for university entrance, while at the same time providing superb pastoral care.”

As well as being President of CIFE, Lord Lexden is President of the Independent Schools Association, one of the ISC's constituent bodies, which represents the interests of more than 500 schools. He is also Vice President of the Council of British International Schools.