The Education Secretary has named
Dr Jo Saxton as his preferred candidate to be the next Ofqual
Chief Regulator today (18 June), following approval by the Prime
Minister.
Dr Saxton will now go on to attend a pre-appointment hearing
before the Education Select Committee on 6 July.
Ofqual is the independent regulator for qualifications, exams and
assessments in England. It maintains standards and public
confidence in GCSE, A and AS levels, as well as vocational and
technical qualifications.
Dr Saxton has been selected for the role following an open
recruitment competition and assessment process led by a panel,
conducted in accordance with the Governance Code on Public
Appointments.
If appointed, she would be due to take over from the interim
Chief Regulator Simon Lebus from September.
Education Secretary
said:
“I look forward to welcoming Jo Saxton to the role, whose wealth
of experience makes her the ideal candidate to lead such an
important organisation.
“With a deep understanding of the education system and Ofqual,
she will play a vital part in upholding standards and confidence
in our exams and qualifications.
“I am also grateful to Simon for his work as interim Chief this
year, helping the organisation to navigate the pandemic’s
challenges.”
Dr Saxton’s previous experience includes serving as CEO of Turner
Schools Academy Trust and CEO of Future Academies Trust. Prior to
working with academies and schools, she taught and examined at
universities in England and the United States.
More recently she has been a policy adviser at the Department for
Education working on a range of policies from academy expansion
to qualifications.
Dr Saxton is also a former trustee of The Brilliant Club and New
Schools Network.
The Chief Regulator’s role is to ensure Ofqual carries out the
board’s strategy and has the needed resources in place, develop
policies and programmes, and maintain stakeholder relationships.
Following her pre-appointment hearing, the Education Select
Committee will publish their recommendations. The Education
Secretary will consider their recommendation before deciding on
the final appointment which is then submitted to The Queen in
Council for approval.
