Dominic Herrington has announced that he is leaving his post as the national schools commissioner.
He has held the post permanently since 2019 after being appointed to the position on an interim basis in 2018, replacing Sir David Carter.
His departure comes amid a major shake-up to the way in which the Department for Education will oversee schools.
Mr Herrington announced his departure, to take up a new job at the Ministry of Justice, on social media this afternoon.
In a tweet, he said: “Job news: I’m moving on! I’ve accepted a role on transforming prisons delivery in the Ministry Of Justice.
“Wanted to say a massive thanks to all the colleagues I have worked with in trusts, schools and regional teams - you have been and are incredible!”
Before becoming the national schools commissioner, he was the regional schools commissioner (RSC) for South East England and South London from July 2014 to September 2018.
He had previously worked in a number of civil service roles in the DfE including as director of the academies group.
His departure comes amid a major shake-up of the DfE’s oversight of schools.
As national schools commissioner, Mr Herrington has overseen a system of regional schools commissioners who were responsible for decision-making on academies in their areas.
The DfE is now creating a new regions group with nine regional directors replacing the roles of RSCs. These regions align with the existing government regions rather than the separate RSC regions that the government created in the middle of the last decade.
The regions group is to be led by a new director-general who will be paid £135,000, according to a job advert from earlier this year.
