Courtesy University of Birmingham

James Arthur is Head of the School of Education and Professor of Education and Civic Engagemen at the University of Birmingham and Director of the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues. James has been Head of the School of Education since 2010. He is Editor of the British Journal of Educational Studies and Director of CitizED. He has written widely on the relationship between theory and practice in education, particularly the links between communitarianism, social virtues, citizenship, religion and education. He previously directed the Learning for Life project which completed the largest UK-based study into issues surrounding character development, looking at over 70,000 responses from young people aged 3-25. His major research activities involve the aspirations and character formation of young people in deprived areas. Recent projects include My Character and Knightly Virtues, in addition to the projects being undertaken in the Jubilee Centre such as Virtuous Character in the Practice of Law.  He was a member of the National Forum for Values in Education and the Community and was a member of the History Task Group of the National Curriculum Council to revise the National Curriculum.