The most senior civil servant in the Department for Education is to step down following England¡¯s A-levels fiasco.

Jonathan Slater, permanent secretary at the DfE since 2016, agreed that he would step down on 1 September after the prime minister ¡°concluded that there is a need for fresh official leadership at the Department for Education¡±, a statement said.

His departure follows the resignation of Sally Collier, chief executive of exams regulator Ofqual, after the use of an algorithm to standardise A-level grades led to more than a quarter of a million results being downgraded.

The attempt at moderation was abandoned after a huge backlash, with students being given grades estimated by their teachers instead, in a move that?created chaos in university admissions.

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But despite heavy criticism, education secretary Gavin Williamson remains in a job, for now at least.

Kate Green, the shadow education secretary, said that under Boris Johnson¡¯s government civil servants ¡°have time and time again taken the fall for the incompetence and failures of ministers¡±.

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¡°Leadership requires a sense of responsibility and a willingness to be held accountable, qualities this prime minister and his ministers utterly lack,¡± she said.

The DfE said that Susan Acland-Hood, who was only appointed interim second permanent secretary last week, would become acting permanent secretary. She is chief executive of HM Courts & Tribunals Service.

chris.havergal@timeshighereducation.com