The Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, has named Sir Ian Bauckham CBE as the Government's preferred candidate to be the next Ofqual Chief Regulator today (24 May), following approval by the Prime Minister.
Sir Ian will go on to attend a pre-appointment hearing before the Education Select Committee following the general election.
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.
The Chief Regulator's role is to ensure delivery of Ofqual's statutory objectives and duties - including to maintain standards and promote confidence in qualifications and assessments.
Sir Ian 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.
Sir Ian was knighted for services to education in January 2023. He has served on the Ofqual Board since 2018 and as Chair from January 2021 up until January 2024, when he took up the post of interim Chief Regulator. He was formerly Chief Executive Officer of the Tenax Schools Academy Trust, a role from which he stood down to become the interim Chief Regulator. Sir Ian has chaired the board of Oak National Academy since 2020.
Following his 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 King in Council for approval.
