He was born in Stoke Newington, London on 14 July 1951 to Reginald Samuel Clifford and Regina (Attias) Lawton. He graduated from the University of York in 1973 with a B.A. in English and education and in 1974 with a postgraduate education certificate. Lawton has an M.A. in theatre studies from the Polytechnic of North London, an M.Ed. in religious studies from the University of Liverpool and an M.Sc. in educational management from the University of East London.
Personal and family life
Lawton was married from 1984 to 1992 to Sara Joy Leviten. He has two daughters: Anna and Evie. His daughter, Anna, was co-chair of the 2017 Limmud Festival.[6]