The regional schools commissioner for the West Midlands has announced that she will retire at the end of the year.
Christine Quinn was appointed in October 2016, following the resignation of Pank Patel after two years in the post.
Her departure comes in the week that former Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw raised concerns about the oversight of schools by the network of eight RSCs across England.
He told the Guardian: “My concern now is that local oversight of standards is just as patchy under the newly created regional schools commissioners, who seem to come and go with worrying frequency.
“We need local politicians, particularly the new mayors, to champion their schools and know what’s going on in their area.”
In an announcement on Twitter, Ms Quinn said the RSC position was her “last full time role”.
She is a former English teacher, and was previously CEO of the Ninestiles Academy Trust.
In a Twitter statement, she said: “The privilege of being RSC WM as my last, full time role is one I could not have foreseen or imagined. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a great deal.
“I feel the RSC WM team and I have built on the work started by Pank and his much smaller band, and improved the service to our MATs, academies and schools, to the benefit of pupils and students in the West Midlands.
“I have worked hard to strengthen the department’s relationship with other stakeholders, specifically local authorities and dioceses.
“I have tried to bring an honesty to the recognition of our different roles in the system, alongside an acknowledgement to achieve similar outcomes.
“There is much still to do, but I am confident that the next RSC WM will be starting from a strong position.”
The team of RSCs is currently led by an interim national schools commissioner, Dominic Herrington, following the departure of Sir David Carter over the summer.
The DfE has yet to advertise for a full-time replacement for Sir David, while it considers how it will be affected by the overhaul of the school accountability regime announced by education secretary Damian Hinds in May.
