Vicky Beer, the Department for Education’s longest-serving regional director, is set to leave the role after 11 years in post.
The senior civil servant revealed that she had made the “really hard decision” to retire at the end of April, despite being “energised” by recent policy developments.
Beer was appointed the regional schools commissioner (RSC) for Lancashire and West Yorkshire in 2015.
A restructure of the RSC system saw them rebadged as regional directors, with Beer responsible for the north west. She has been in the role longer than anyone else.
The Department for Education has launched its search for a replacement to move into the job and help shape the government’s strategy.
Beer told Schools Week: “There’s still lots to do in the region, but I think the way the sector works is a particular strength of the area and I feel some personal pride in helping to shape that.”
Before joining the civil service, Beer was an executive principal at the Dean Trust, which ran four schools across Trafford and Knowsley at the time.
She was also a national leader of education and chaired one of England’s first teaching schools. She says she will fill her time travelling, gardening, paddleboarding and volunteering after retiring.
‘A hard decision’
“It was a really hard to decision to make because there’s so much about the role I absolutely love,” Beer added.
“I’ve been excited and energised by the direction of travel of some of the reforms as well.”
A page advertising the £125,000-a-year role says the successful candidate will help “shape policy… to better reflect local needs and regional variation”.
They will lead intervention in schools “where needed”, work with councils to ensure areas have sufficient pupil places and work “effectively” with ministers.
The department is on the lookout for people with “excellent system leadership skills gained within the education or care sector, local or national government”.
They should also have “demonstrable experience of leading change inclusively with your team, including delivering system improvement and transformation”.
The selection process will involve shortlisted applicants being invited to a “partnership engagement conversation”, with Tim Coulson, the DfE’s director general of regions group, in April.
A council director of children’s services and academy trust boss will also attend.
This comes after it was announced Mulberry Schools Trust chief executive Vanessa Ogden will take over as the London regional director this year.
In 2024, West Midlands regional director Andrew Warren also left the department after almost six years in the position.
