[2] He was educated at the Glasgow High School, the Grange School at Sunderland, the University of Glasgow and as a Snell exhibitioner at Balliol College, Oxford, where he obtained a first class in Literae Humaniores.
[1] Sandford entered the Education office in 1848, where he was to remain except for short interludes until 1884.
In 1862 he was organising secretary for the International Exhibition of that year and from 1868 to 1870 he was Assistant Under-Secretary at the Colonial Office.
[1][3] He played an important role in the implementation of the Elementary Education Act 1870 (33 & 34 Vict.
According to the Dictionary of National Biography the "...work he performed in these capacities was appreciated by statesmen of all political parties".