Ms Greening is the first secretary of state for education to have attended a comprehensive school.
The job is a promotion for Ms Greening, whose previous role was international development secretary.
In that job at the Department for International Development (DFID) she recently announced funding to help some of the poorest girls in the world to get an education.
Her voting record shows that she is in favour of academies and tuition fees, and for ending financial support for some 16-19 year olds in training and further education.
Ms Greening has been the Conservative MP for Putney, Roehampton and Southfields since she was first elected to Parliament in 2005.
She grew up in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, where she attended her local comprehensive school, then went on to study economics at Southampton University.
Prior to becoming an MP she worked as a finance manager at Centrica plc.
Following her election, she was appointed Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, with responsibility for youth.
Between 2011-12, Ms Greening was transport secretary and from 2010-11 she was economic secretary to the Treasury and city minister.
Last month Ms Greening revealed on Twitter that she was in a ‘happy same-sex relationship’ on the same day as London Pride, making her the first openly gay Cabinet minister.
The make-up of the rest of the education team, including the childcare minister, is yet to be confirmed.
Downing Street has confirmed that the Department for Education will take on responsibility for higher and further education policy, apprenticeships and skills, previously covered by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Nursery World will be updating this story as it develops.
