Charlie Taylor taught for many years in both primary and secondary schools in inner-city London. He began to specialise in supporting pupils with special educational needs and in 2005 he became the head teacher of the Willows Special School for children with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties, during which time the school received two “outstanding” ratings from Ofsted.

In 2011 he became expert adviser on children’s behaviour at the Department for Education, producing reports into School Attendance and Alternative Provision for excluded pupils, he also created the Behaviour Checklist which is still regularly used in English schools.

In 2012 he became the CEO of the National College for Teaching and Leadership, overseeing the recruitment of 30,000 trainee teachers a year and leading on the regulatory process for teachers accused of misconduct.

In 2015 he led a review into the youth justice system that made wide-ranging recommendations including the introduction of Secure Schools, a new model for youth custody.

In 2017 he became chair of the Youth Justice Board, overseeing the youth justice system and advising ministers from across Whitehall. He also continued working with the DfE as an adviser on the Behaviour Hubs, a new initiative to improve the ability of schools to support their most challenging pupils.

Since 2016 he has been a trustee of Dallaglio Rugby Works, an organisation that supports and mentors children who are out of mainstream education.

 He became HM Chief Inspector of Prisons on 1 November 2020.