HILARY COOPER

As Head of Children and Learners in the Government Office for the East of England in Cambridge, Hilary leads 4 teams working with Local Authorities and other partners to deliver DCSF priorities for children and young people in areas as diverse as attainment, health and child protection.  A career civil servant, she began her career in Whitehall as a government economist.

Since moving to the East of England in the early 1990s she has worked in a variety of posts which have included negotiating Local Area Agreements within the region as well as a period of 4 years as Head of Corporate Strategy, HR and Finance. Hilary enjoys both classical theatre (having recently become an RSC member) and more experimental theatre.  She has 3 sons, the middle of whom has recently joined a Cambridge acting company, bringing her increasingly into contact with youth theatre and improvisation.  Aside from all this, she enjoys travelling, contemporary literature and swimming/snorkelling.