Academies in six of eight regions could have a new regional schools commissioner (RSC) after the Department for Education confirmed a shake-up of the areas they cover.
London will now get its own RSC, with the eight current regions becoming nine so they align with those more frequently used by government.
As well as the three RSC regions including parts of London, another three regions in the north will be affected.
The North, Lancashire and West Yorkshire, and East Midlands and Humber RSC regions will become the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber.
The changes are part of a wider internal overhaul, dubbed “Future DfE”, that will strip the Education and Skills Funding Agency of its post-16 policy remit.
Documents say the shake-up will provide a “clear sense of purpose” and “renewed organisational culture”.
A DfE spokesperson said: “These changes reorganise us to be a department that operates better locally by being aligned to the nine regions used elsewhere in government.”
It will also mean the department is “organised in a way that is clear and makes sense to stakeholders” and “help us deliver the department’s priorities on skills, schools and families”.
Schools Week revealed last month the government’s plans to redraw RSC boundaries had left recent advisory board elections in limbo.
A total of 164 candidates stood for election for 32 places on RSC boards across England.
The department had no further update on the solution, which in a worst-case scenario could see elections having to be re-run.
Confirmation of the changes comes ahead of a review of the ESFA’s operations, due next week, and the schools white paper, due next month.
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