About us
Regional directors work locally across children’s social care, SEND, schools and area-based programmes to improve outcomes for children, families and learners.
Regional directors act on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education.
Regional directors’ main responsibilities include:
- addressing underperformance in schools, academies, children’s social care and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services, offering support, and where necessary intervening, to deliver rapid improvement
- taking decisions on academy sponsor matches and significant changes to academies
- deciding on new free schools
- taking decisions on the creation, consolidation and growth of multi-academy trusts (MATs)
- supporting local authorities to ensure that every local area has sufficient places for pupils
- delivering across a number of key programmes by building the department’s presence locally through working closely with stakeholders, local authorities, MATs, Ofsted, and other local government departments
- making sure local needs inform policy development
- leading the response to area wide special educational needs (SEN) inspections, ensuring effective challenge and support to enable areas of weakness to be remedied quickly
- taking the lead on ensuring there is an appropriate response to safeguarding cases arising in academies in their region, working closely with local authorities and Ofsted
- promoting financial health in the academy trusts and free schools sectors
- leading on ensuring strong governance in academy trusts – this does not include financial governance issues as they are overseen by the ESFA
- delivering across a number of key programmes emerging from the schools white paper, the SEND and AP green paper, and from the care review
- deciding on changes to admission arrangements where the Secretary of State has agreed a limited derogation to support fair access
- deciding on applications for an exemption from providing a “broadly Christian” daily act of collective worship, which can be replaced with collective worship that reflects the faith background of the academy’s pupils and the population the academy serves
Ministers receive regular reports from the regional directors to maintain oversight of the programme and stay informed about significant operational matters across the regions.
Regional directors escalate decisions to ministers, where they:
- are sensitive
- raise issues of interpretation of government policy
- relate to urgent safeguarding or extremism concerns
Read more about regional directors’ responsibilities in relation to schools in the guidance on commissioning high quality trusts and .
The schools causing concern guidance explains in more detail the action that regional directors may take when maintained schools and academies are underperforming.
Each regional director is supported by an advisory board which advises on academy related decisions.
Regional directors are required to:
- adhere to the Seven Principles of Public Life as set out by Lord Nolan and the Civil Service code
- escalate issues and decisions as appropriate
- ensure they take decisions within legal parameters (including equality legislation)
- ensure academy trusts that are performing well retain their autonomy
- contribute to wider education policy development by working with local authorities and trusts to progress wider school improvement, and ensuring that the department is ’joined up’ at regional level
- work closely with other regional directors where a school is near to the border of another regional director’s region, or where it may affect another regional director’s region or the academies or other school within it
- work closely with other regional directors where a trust spans more than one region
Regional directors work with the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to provide oversight and scrutiny of academy trusts’ performance, in line with the established framework for academy trusts.
Regional directors also work closely with a number of partners.
Who we are
Regional directors are senior civil servants and typically have experience in education.
The regional directors operate across 9 regions in England:
- Jonathan Duff: East of England
- Carol Gray: East Midlands (jobshare)
- Vicky Beer: North-west
- Katherine Cowell: North-east
- Dame Kate Dethridge: South-east
- Claire Burton: London
- Lucy Livings: South-west
- Andrew Warren: West Midlands
- Alison Wilson: Yorkshire and Humber
Who we work with
Regional directors work closely with:
- a number of partners, including leaders from the education sector, Ofsted, local authorities, and local dioceses and other faith groups
- multi-academy trusts, designated system leaders, such as teaching schools, and with the Teaching Schools Council, or other school improvement providers to provide access to the optional school improvement support offer
- local authorities and their partners (police, health and education) regarding their duty to provide adequate children’s social care and SEND services
- local authority education teams to discuss school improvement, working with them on academy conversions and supporting and challenging them to fulfil their statutory duty to secure sufficient school places
- local dioceses and other faith groups, including to help ensure strong multi–academy trust structures are in place that will support their schools if they become academies
Working with Ofsted
Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) is a non-ministerial governmental department. It is led by His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (HMCI), independent of the Department for Education, and reports directly to Parliament.
Ofsted is responsible for inspecting maintained schools and academies in England, as well as some independent schools. They also inspect local authority children’s services, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in a local area and regulate 62,000 nurseries and childminders and 2,700 children’s homes. More broadly, they inspect initial teacher education, FE and sixth form colleges, adoption services and fostering agencies, apprenticeship providers and prison education.
Read more about Ofsted’s responsibilities, management and ways of working.
Interaction with schools following inspection
Although the Department for Education and Ofsted are separate organisations with distinct roles and responsibilities, there are several areas of common interest, in particular, improving the life chances and education of children and young people.
Ofsted and DfE regional directors share information, intelligence and concerns around local authorities and providers, as well as emerging priorities and themes, in order to carry out their respective functions more effectively. They do this where appropriate, and at all times operating in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Data Protection Act 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and any other relevant data protection legislation and contractual agreements. We will aim to share information we already hold where this is in the public interest.
DfE regional directors also act on Ofsted’s inspections to oversee improvement in schools and local authorities by:
- leading interventions in failing children’s social care functions, creating solutions to make rapid improvement
- leading follow up to area-wide SEND inspections, ensuring effective challenge and support to enable areas of weakness to be improved quickly
- working closely with the stakeholders on becoming fully accountable for all SEND improvement and intervention work in their region over time
- converting inadequate local authority-maintained schools and those judged as not making necessary improvements into academies, sponsored by strong multi-academy trusts
- holding trust leaders to account for improving academies that are judged inadequate or where judged as not making necessary improvements, including by issuing warning notices or transferring schools where needed, to a strong multi-academy trust
- offering support to both maintained schools and academies that have been identified as requiring improvement
Working with ESFA to provide oversight of the academies system
ESFA is responsible for distributing funding to the sector. It provides assurance that public funds are properly spent, that value for money is achieved for the taxpayer and supports strong financial capacity in the sector.
ESFA supports trusts and ensures compliance with the clear framework of accountability set out in academy trusts’ funding agreements and the Academy Trust Handbook.
Where financial non-compliance or failure to deliver value for money is identified, ESFA has a proportionate, risk-based intervention strategy that fits within the overall academy accountability framework.
ESFA brings together the school resource management portfolio to help schools and trusts build their financial capacity and expertise and strengthen their financial position so that they can support improved outcomes for pupils.
Regional directors and ESFA work together to consider and share a range of information to produce a joined-up assessment of performance across 3 key functions of an academy trust:
- education - regional directors consider a range of information, including pupils’ educational outcomes and Ofsted judgements
- financial management - ESFA considers a range of information about the trusts’ financial management, including annual financial statements, account returns and 3 year budget forecasts
- governance - regional directors and ESFA will also consider other relevant information on the governance of trusts, including the composition of a trust’s board, internal trust documents and the reports of external auditors
This evidence is used as a starting point to consider potential areas of concern as well as to test evidence of strong performance. This can help, for example, confirm the suitability of a trust to support new schools, inform decisions about whether to offer support or to decide whether intervention is required.
In cases of failure both regional directors and ESFA may issue formal intervention notices:
- termination warning notices (issued by regional directors)
- financial notices to improve (issued by ESFA)
In response the academy trust may be required to submit a:
- trust school improvement plan
- financial recovery plan agreed between the trust and ESFA
Academies rated ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’
Regional directors will not intervene with academies where their educational performance, financial management and governance are of a high standard.
The aims of the approach include:
- educational excellence for all - setting high expectations for all schools and academies, with a focus on areas of the country that are lagging behind
- creating a self-improving system - powers are discharged by our best academy heads and leaders
- preserving independence - a ‘system-led’ approach with tight parameters over when intervention is permitted
- carefully balanced powers - both through Ofsted, responsible for judging education quality, and the department’s accountability measures to diagnose the quality of education, intervene when required, commission support, and through strong trusts deliver that support
How regional directors deal with educational underperformance in academies and free schools
Through their funding agreement, regional directors are responsible for holding academy trusts to account if academies or free schools are underperforming. Where an academy has been rated as ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted, regional directors may use their powers to take formal intervention action in academies.
In most cases this will mean issuing the academy with a termination warning notice which will set out the action the academy trust needs to take. If the regional director believes the trust is unable to drive rapid school improvement, then the regional director may decide to terminate the academy’s funding agreement and transfer the academy to a new trust which they believe can bring about the required improvement.
The Secretary of State also has the power to intervene in schools that are not making necessary improvements. This is defined where a school’s overall effectiveness at its most recent Ofsted inspection was ‘requires improvement’, and the school’s overall effectiveness was also below ‘good’ at the inspection immediately before the most recent inspection. This is a power (not a duty) delegated to regional directors.
Regional directors will write to trusts with academies eligible for intervention under this power to inform them that the academy or academies are in scope and will also write to invite the trust to make any representations. This letter will be copied, if applicable, to the relevant religious authority or diocese.
Regional directors will then decide after considering all the available evidence and representations whether the trust has the capacity and capability to improve the school, or if this will be best delivered through another MAT. Where intervention is appropriate, the regional director will normally issue a termination warning notice.
Where an academy meeting the new coasting definition has had its first inspection in a trust following conversion or transfer and has improved from ‘inadequate’ to ‘requires improvement’, the regional director will write to the trust confirming that the academy meets the definition but will normally also notify the trust that no further action will be taken at present in view of the improvement. Regional directors will continue to monitor the academy and may take action if the academy does not continue to improve.
Where a school has a single Ofsted rating of ‘requires improvement’, the regional director will make an optional offer of support (through the Trust and School Improvement Offer) to the local authority.
If an academy is rated as ‘requires improvement’ by Ofsted, the regional director will make an optional offer of support (through the Trust and School Improvement Offer) to the trust.
The Schools causing concern guidance provides further information on how regional directors will act in relation to inadequate academies and academies not making necessary improvements.
Dealing with underperformance in maintained schools
Regional directors may take action in maintained schools that are eligible for intervention. A maintained school will be eligible for intervention if it has been rated as ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted, or if it has failed to comply with a warning notice issued to the school by either the local authority or the Secretary of State.
Maintained schools that have been judged ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted are required to become sponsored academies to secure rapid and sustainable improvement. In these circumstances the regional director issues an Academy Order, matches the school with a strong trust, and agrees at which point the funding agreement can be signed.
The Secretary of State also has the power to intervene in schools that are not making necessary improvements. This is defined as where a school’s overall effectiveness at its most recent Ofsted inspection was ‘requires improvement’, and the school’s overall effectiveness was also below ‘good’ at the inspection immediately before the most recent inspection. This is a power (not a duty) delegated to regional directors.
Regional directors will write to the governing bodies of schools eligible for intervention under this power to inform them that the school is in scope and will also write to invite the governing body to make any representations. This letter will be copied to the local authority and, if applicable, to the relevant religious authority or diocese.
Regional directors will then decide after considering all the available evidence and representations whether the school has the capacity and capability to improve the school, or if this will be best delivered through another multi academy trust (MAT). Where intervention is appropriate, the regional director will normally issue an academy order.
Where a school has a single Ofsted rating of ‘requires improvement’, the regional director will make an optional offer of support (through the Trust and School Improvement Offer) to the local authority.
Regional directors look to work closely with local authorities in determining what action is necessary in a maintained school that is causing concern. Regional director responsibilities and powers for addressing underperformance in maintained schools are described in the Schools causing concern guidance.
Regional directors and cross regional multi academy trusts
Cross regional multi academy trusts are strategically managed by a lead regional director. The lead regional director will ‘own’ the relationship with the trust and will be responsible for negotiating any strategic decisions or approaches that have a direct implication for multiple regions. The lead regional director will take the lead on issues concerning the trust, governance arrangements and overall performance. Any issues concerning individual academies or free schools within the trust will be managed by the regional director for the area in which the school is located.
Regional Director role in safeguarding children
Regional directors work with Ofsted on a number of policy and operational areas. The most important of these is the safeguarding of children, which is of the utmost priority to both organisations. When an Ofsted inspection identifies safeguarding failures in an academy Ofsted will share information with the relevant regional director. Regional directors and Ofsted may also share complaint information received.
When regional directors are made aware of concerns about the safeguarding arrangements in an academy, either by Ofsted or from other sources such as a parental complaint, action will be taken to ensure the trust is meeting its responsibility’s as set out in the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, and statutory guidance such as keeping children safe in education and working together to safeguard children.
Where necessary to protect the wellbeing of a child, regional directors will share information with other statutory agencies, such as the local authority’s children’s social care teams or the police.
Oversight and accountability for the state funded school system in England
Ofsted may also refer concerns relating to educational performance, finance or governance to ESFA or regional directors for action as appropriate in line with their respective responsibilities.
The roles and responsibilities are set out in the flowchart .
Advisory boards
Advisory board members provide a source of challenge and insight to the Department for Education (DfE) on academy-related decisions. Advisory Board members are not decision makers.
Read the for more information.
The advisory board collection has further information including members lists, meeting schedules, preparation templates and notes.
Conflicts of interest
How we define a conflict of interest
We define these interests as any personal or business interest within the past 5 years which may be, or may be seen to be, influencing a regional director’s or advisory board member’s judgement in performing their role. These interests may include:
- schools that they have direct responsibility for (in roles such as headteacher or executive headteacher)
- academy trusts for which they work or serve on the governing body
- all schools that are members of their affiliated academy trusts
- schools for which they serve on the governing body
- applications for free schools or academy conversions that they have submitted that are still awaiting decision
- organisations involved in education, or organisations providing educational services, for which they work or serve as a board member (including for-profit and registered charities)
- any other establishments for which they serve as a board member (including the type of organisation)
Other potential conflicts of interest include:
- schools that they, their trust or their school have formally or informally supported
- free school or academy conversion applications for which they have provided advice
- organisations to which they were previously affiliated
- any other organisations with which they are involved that may influence, or could be perceived to influence, their professional judgement in any way
Managing conflicts of interest
Regional directors and advisory board members must declare to the regional director’s office any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest that might impact their role. The regional director’s office maintains a register of all advisory board member and regional director conflicts of interest. These are collected at the beginning of their terms, and are routinely reviewed every quarter.
Each advisory board member or regional director must consider their own conflicts of interest in each case they are asked to consider and advise on. They must also consider conflicts that may arise where their spouses, family members, professional colleagues (both past and present), and acquaintances are involved.
Where a conflict of interests exists, the advisory board member or regional director will not receive relevant advisory papers. They must remove themselves from discussions on the project and must not provide any advice on the project. Notes of advisory board meetings will reference any conflicts with any draft agenda items.
Read the .
Complain about a regional director’s decision
If you want to make a complaint about a regional director’s decision, please send an e-mail to [email protected].
Provide us with as much detail as you can to help us investigate your complaint:
- say which regional director you’re referring to
- say what the problem is
- say what you want to happen
- provide information on any relevant communication with us on the subject, including, for example, any reference numbers on letters or emails, and the times and dates of any conversations
We will investigate all formal complaints in line with the Department for Education’s complaints procedure.
Information on complaining about a school or an academy is also available.
Find out more about academies and free schools
If you’re a local-authority-maintained school, information is available about converting to an academy.
You can also read about opening a free school.