DfE south west regional director leaves for council job

Hannah Woodhouse, the Department for Education’s regional director for the south west, will leave the role early next year after almost seven years in post.

The senior civil servant posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she would take up the role of executive director of children and education at Bristol City Council in February.

Woodhouse has been regional director for the south west since the new regions group was created last year. Before that, she was the area’s regional schools commissioner since 2019.

She said her new role offered a “fabulous opportunity to lead across a terrific city – where I was born – working with children’s services, schools and trusts”.

But she added it had been a “difficult decision to move on: I have loved working across this beautiful region”.

‘Amazing role’

“I will be here until the end of January. Huge huge thanks for the personal support and confidence that so many have given me in this amazing role. I will miss most of all the brilliant [regions group] south west team who will continue to serve the region excellently.”

Before becoming a regional schools commissioner, Woodhouse worked as managing director of the Central South Consortium Joint Education Service, and before that was director of strategy and commissioning for children’s services at Cambridgeshire council.

In the 2000s she worked at what was then Department for Education and Skills, including on the team overseeing the London Challenge, and then the Department for Children, Schools and Families, as 14 to 19 targets and funding deputy director.

She then worked on secondment at the Department for Communities and Local Government as director for children and learners in the east of England.

Paying tribute to Woodhouse on X, Dan Morrow, chief executive of the Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust, said: “Congratulations Hannah, you will of course be brilliant.

“Equally, you will be missed; you really have been a beacon of high standards, aspiration care for all children within the south west. With all best wishes.”