Anthony J. Elliott-Kelly (Tony Kelly) is a Professor of Education at the University of Southampton, England, specialising in education / schooling theory as it relates to school improvement, school effectiveness and school leadership, and system-wide policy.[1]
Kelly previously worked at the University of Cambridge with Mel West,[2] and before that was a headteacher in Ireland. His background is in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, which he studied at Cambridge under George Batchelor. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and of the Institute of Mathematics and Applications[3]. He was a leading figure in the movement to integrate and rationalise education in the Irish border region where he developed new governance structures.
Kelly was well known in Ireland because of his work in merging schools with different traditions, and is known in UK university circles for his traditional view of the role of universities. As an undergraduate student at Cambridge he famously / allegedly cast doubt on the sincerity of a student discussion (on Irish politics) in the Society[4], causing some offence.
Kelly is editor of the journal Education, Knowledge and Economy[5] and is an invited lecturer at several leading universities outside the UK. He serves on several national UK steering groups and approval panels and also retains an interest and involvement in Anglo-Irish affairs. He is the author of numerous research reports and papers in academic journals.