Sewell’s charity, Generating Genius, is dedicated to nurturing children who "live in Hackney or Lambeth but have never seen Nelson’s Column" and to get them into the top universities. It does this through summer schools and extra-curricular activities.
"My background is in teaching in inner-city schools that were mainly collapsing or failing," he says. "That made me want to do something to raise the aspirations of teachers and pupils, which is what we’re trying to do through Generating Genius."
He has a traditional, unashamedly hardline approach to education, one that has attracted admiration from Education Secretary Michael Gove and London Mayor Boris Johnson – who has charged him with heading an inquiry into the capital’s schools. But that approach has also sparked criticism and accusations of racism from others – including readers of his columns in the black newspaper The Voice.
Respect and academic rigour
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