She started her career on the Mirror Group Graduate Training Scheme and worked on the Daily Mirror and Daily Express before going to work in Downing Street in 1997. Since leaving No 10 she has made a number of TV programmes about schools and school choice and is a regular contributor to Education Guardian and Comment is Free. She co-authored A Comprehensive Future with Melissa Benn in 2006 and in 2009 published The Secret World of the Working Mother. Fiona was chair of the Family and Parenting Institute between 2003 and 2010 and she co-founded the Local Schools Network two years ago with three other London parents.