Personal Information
Name: Astrid Margaret Goldman, Lady Goldman
Gender: Female [10]
Age: 66
Religion: Jewish [5]
Family history: Middle class, famous relation (married a Knight) [5]
Family:
Straight, Divorced, two children [5]
Children:
Ludovico Ardovini, b. 1960
Isabella Ardovini-Goldman, b.1963
Spouse:
Antonio Ardovini - m.1957, div. 1964
Sir James Goldman, m. 1970. Died 1996.
Education:
State educated [0]
B.Ed University of Leeds [0]
Career:
1956-1966: Teacher (state, worked with disadvantaged children) [15]
1966-1989: Headteacher (state) [10]
1989-1996: School Improvement Advisor to the LEA and Ofsted Inspector [mid-level CS 10]
Political History:
Constituency: Pontefract and Castleford
Party: Labour
Faction: Blairite
First Elected: 1997 (age 62) [0]
Parliamentary Undersecretary of State (Education) 1998-1999 [2]
Minister of State (Schools) 1999-2001 [4]
Notes:
Key sponsor of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and Learning and Skills Act 2000 [10]
Made key speech in the House in favour of both [6]
Total: 82
Biography
Astrid Margaret Goldman, née Thomas, was born to a middle class family in Dewsbury, Yorkshire. She grew up moving around the Yorkshire countryside as her solicitor father moved for work. Astrid was educated at state schools and had a particular passion for mathematics. After completing Sixth Form, attaining a HND in Mathematics, she attended Leeds University where she studied to become a teacher.
While at University, Astrid met future husband Antonio Ardovini. Ardovini, a vintner from Italy, was considerably older and became infatuated by the younger, bright Astrid. The pair married shortly after Astrid began teaching and children quickly followed. However, the marriage was short-lived and after a series of rows, the couple divorced in 1964. The fall-out was calamitous and after several years of legal battles, Astrid walked away with a considerable sum, shares in the family vineyards and a large collection of luxury produce.
At work, Astrid was flying and after several years focusing her efforts working with disadvantaged communities, Astrid landed her first headship. A hard-worker, Astrid was astounded by the sometimes underachievement of her male counterparts. Her frustrations led to her reputation as a Head as someone who could quickly get to grips with a school and turn their fortunes around. For twenty years, Astrid followed this pattern; taking a school in dire-straights, correcting their course, making fast improvements and moving on.
During this time, she met her second husband Sir James Goldman. The pair married in 1970 and while the marriage allowed her to use the style ‘Lady Goldman’ she opted not to in her working life.
The Local Education Authority approached Astrid and asked her to target several local schools. She took-up a job opportunity as an Improvement Advisor, working with many schools across Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West.
Upon the creation of Ofsted in 1992, Astrid become one of it’s first inspectors, focusing on assessing mathematics, teaching and learning standards and school leadership.
A lifetime member of the Labour Party in the Old Right tradition, a fierce believer in the power of the teaching unions, Astrid was swayed by the politics of the 1980s and the failure of the left to make electoral ground and moved rightward in her thinking. The politics of John Smith and Tony Blair appealed to her gut for improvement and she campaigned with the local party, eventually being selected as their candidate for Pontefract and Castleford in 1997.
A key supporter of new Prime Minister Blair’s education promises, Astrid supported for the first year from the backbenches but was offered the opportunity to work as a Parliamentary Undersecretary of State at the DfE. There, Astrid worked on the School Standards and Framework Act and helped guide it through the House of Commons. Her background in school improvement was an asset. Upon the successful completion of the Act, she was promoted to Minister of State for Schools and sponsored the Learning and Skills Act through the House of Commons.
Despite the setbacks of the early 2000s, Astrid remains a believer in the New Labour project in the Blairite tradition.
