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Six years, 27 years of service, and a handover at the Department for Education

Qurexa Editorial Team22 October 20266 min read 0 0
Six years, 27 years of service, and a handover at the Department for Education

What happened

On 21 October 2026 the government announced that Simon Ridley will be the next Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education. He starts in November. A Permanent Secretary is the most senior civil servant in a government department. They are not a politician and do not set policy direction. Their job is to run the organisation, manage its budget, and make sure what ministers decide actually happens. Ministers come and go with elections; permanent secretaries provide the continuity, which is where the name comes from. Ridley moves from the Home Office, where he has been Second Permanent Secretary and has twice stepped up as acting Permanent Secretary. Before that he led the Cabinet Office COVID-19 Taskforce. According to Cabinet Secretary Dame Antonia Romeo, he has also worked at the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and HM Treasury. The appointment was made by the Cabinet Secretary with the Prime Minister's approval, in consultation with the First Civil Service Commissioner. It is what the Civil Service calls a managed move rather than an open competition. He replaces Susan Acland-Hood, who has led the department since 2020 and is moving to a role outside government after 27 years of public service.

Why this matters

It is reasonable to ask why a civil service appointment deserves anyone's attention. The answer is that this particular department is in the middle of several very large, very slow pieces of work, and delivery is a permanent secretary's job rather than a minister's. The Department for Education is responsible for schools, colleges, apprenticeships, children's social care and early years in England. The things sitting in its in-tray at the moment include reform of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, a national drive to recruit foster carers, changes to qualifications, and Ofsted's new inspection arrangements. None of those are quick. All of them depend on whether an organisation of thousands of people can carry a plan through several years without losing it. That is what the role is for. Lucy Powell, the Education Secretary, said Ridley brings a breadth of experience and a track record of delivery. Dame Antonia Romeo made a similar point about the breadth of his experience and leadership. Ridley's own comment was about the purpose rather than the machinery: he said there is nothing more important than making sure every child and young person has the best start in life. Susan Acland-Hood described leading the department for the past six years as a privilege.

What the evidence actually says

There is not a great deal to analyse in an appointment announcement, and it would be dishonest to pretend otherwise. But a few things can be said fairly. Ridley's documented background is in central government machinery: the Treasury, the Cabinet Office, housing and local government, and the Home Office. He led the COVID-19 Taskforce, which was crisis coordination at scale. That is a profile built around running complicated cross-government programmes. What it is not is a career in education. He has not come from the schools system. Whether that matters is a genuine open question rather than a criticism. Supporters of this kind of appointment argue that running a large department is a transferable skill and that fresh eyes help. Critics argue that sector knowledge matters and takes years to acquire. Both views are held by serious people. The appointment process is worth being clear about too. This was a managed move, approved by the Prime Minister and the Education Secretary in consultation with the First Civil Service Commissioner — not an open competition. That is a normal and permitted route for senior civil service moves, but it is a different thing from an advertised post, and the announcement says so plainly. Finally, six years is a long tenure for a permanent secretary, and 27 years of public service is a long career. Handovers at that point tend to matter more than handovers after eighteen months.

Practical advice

This is a story about how government works rather than something to act on, but there are a few genuinely useful threads. **If you want to track education policy, follow the department rather than the headlines.** The DfE publishes a regular update for schools, academies, councils and further education providers covering funding and guidance. It is dull and it is where things actually appear first. **If you are dealing with the school system over something specific, know the escalation route.** For a school matter it runs from the school, to the governing body or academy trust, and then to the Department for Education. For inspection concerns, Ofsted has its own complaints process. Knowing the order saves time. **If a civil service career interests you, note the shape of this one.** Treasury, Cabinet Office, housing, Home Office, and now education. Senior civil servants typically move between departments rather than staying in one field, and that is the normal path rather than the exception. **Do not expect immediate change.** A new permanent secretary does not change policy. If you are waiting on a decision about your child's support, this appointment does not alter it, and the people to press remain your school, your local authority and your MP. **Keep your own records.** Whoever runs the department, the single most useful thing a parent can have in any dispute is a dated written trail.

What to know

Simon Ridley has been appointed Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education and starts in November 2026. He replaces Susan Acland-Hood, who has led the department since 2020 and leaves after 27 years in public service. A permanent secretary is the senior civil servant who runs a department — managing budgets, staff and delivery — rather than a politician who sets direction. Ridley comes from the Home Office, where he was Second Permanent Secretary and twice acting Permanent Secretary, and previously led the Cabinet Office COVID-19 Taskforce. His background is in Treasury, Cabinet Office, housing and local government, and Home Office roles rather than in education. The appointment was a managed move approved by the Prime Minister and Education Secretary in consultation with the First Civil Service Commissioner, not an open competition. That is a normal route, and the announcement states it openly. It matters because the department is carrying several multi-year programmes — SEND reform, foster carer recruitment, qualifications changes and new inspection arrangements — where delivery depends on the organisation rather than on ministers. If you are waiting on a decision about a child's support, nothing about this appointment changes it: your school, local authority and MP remain the people to press. Sources: GOV.UK (Department for Education), "Simon Ridley Appointed as new Department for Education Permanent Secretary", 21 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/simon-ridley-appointed-as-new-department-for-education-permanent-secretary. GOV.UK, "Department for Education", accessed 22 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education. This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified professional.

#Department for Education#civil service#appointments#schools policy#SEND#governance

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