Former regional schools commissioner John Edwards has been hired as the head of the Department for Education’s new Regions Group, he has announced today.
The new group was outlined in the government’s recent Schools White Paper, which said it would “hold local authorities and academy trusts to account for local delivery for children and young people with SEND”.
It said the group - which would contain directors in charge of each of the nine English regions - would intervene where trusts “are not providing the excellent education we expect”.
Mr Edwards is currently interim chief executive and accounting officer of the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), but has previously been regional schools commissioner for East Midlands and the Humber as part of a job share.
The DfE has said that regional school commissioners, which are part of the new group, will be known as “regional directors” in future, to “reflect their evolving role”.
In a tweet earlier today, Mr Edwards wrote: “Delighted and humbled to be appointed first director general for DfE’s new Regions Group - looking forward to working with all colleagues and partners, nationally and regionally.”
He also said that Warwick Sharp, current director of academies and maintained schools at the ESFA, would be serving as interim CEO of the organisation from next week and that David Withey, chief operating officer and deputy secretary at the New South Wales Department of Education, would take on the role from August.
