The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister, has appointed Susan Acland-Hood as the new permanent secretary to the Department for Education. Susan has been covering the role on a temporary basis since September and will take up her substantive promotion with immediate effect.

The Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Gavin Williamson said:

“I want to congratulate Susan on her permanent appointment as permanent secretary here at the Department of Education. Having worked closely with Susan over the last few months, I know she is a great leader and has the skills and experience to really deliver the Government’s ambitious agenda to level up education across the country, giving every child an equal opportunity to succeed.

“Susan is an outstanding civil servant with extensive experience across government and education policy, and I look forward to working with her as we build back better from the pandemic.”

The Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, said:

“I am delighted Susan has been appointed as permanent secretary to the Department for Education. She will bring a wealth of relevant experience to the role and a genuine enthusiasm for the agenda having served in the department previously. Under her leadership, I am confident that the department will deliver high-quality education and children’s services for everyone.”

“It has been a privilege to lead the Department for Education since September, and I am honoured and delighted to have been confirmed as the permanent secretary. Shaping the Department and supporting its committed, brilliant staff to do the best possible job for children, and for students and learners of all ages, has never mattered more, and I take up the challenge with passion and determination.”

Notes for Editors

Susan Acland-Hood has been filling the role of permanent secretary at DfE since September on a temporary basis. Prior to taking on the role of acting permanent secretary at DfE, Susan was Chief Executive of Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service.

From 2015 to 2016 she was Director of Enterprise and Growth at HM Treasury, responsible for policies on growth, energy, the environment, business, infrastructure, exports, competition and markets. She was Director of the Education and Funding Group at DfE from 2013 to 2015, and before that held a range of posts covering education and justice policy, including in No 10, the Home Office, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and the Social Exclusion Unit. Her civil service career began in the then Department for Education and Employment in 1999.

The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister, has appointed Susan Acland-Hood as the new permanent secretary to the Department for Education. Susan has been covering the role on a temporary basis since September and will take up her substantive promotion with immediate effect.

The Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Gavin Williamson said:

“I want to congratulate Susan on her permanent appointment as permanent secretary here at the Department of Education. Having worked closely with Susan over the last few months, I know she is a great leader and has the skills and experience to really deliver the Government’s ambitious agenda to level up education across the country, giving every child an equal opportunity to succeed.

“Susan is an outstanding civil servant with extensive experience across government and education policy, and I look forward to working with her as we build back better from the pandemic.”

The Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, said:

“I am delighted Susan has been appointed as permanent secretary to the Department for Education. She will bring a wealth of relevant experience to the role and a genuine enthusiasm for the agenda having served in the department previously. Under her leadership, I am confident that the department will deliver high-quality education and children’s services for everyone.”

“It has been a privilege to lead the Department for Education since September, and I am honoured and delighted to have been confirmed as the permanent secretary. Shaping the Department and supporting its committed, brilliant staff to do the best possible job for children, and for students and learners of all ages, has never mattered more, and I take up the challenge with passion and determination.”

Notes for Editors

Susan Acland-Hood has been filling the role of permanent secretary at DfE since September on a temporary basis. Prior to taking on the role of acting permanent secretary at DfE, Susan was Chief Executive of Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service.

From 2015 to 2016 she was Director of Enterprise and Growth at HM Treasury, responsible for policies on growth, energy, the environment, business, infrastructure, exports, competition and markets. She was Director of the Education and Funding Group at DfE from 2013 to 2015, and before that held a range of posts covering education and justice policy, including in No 10, the Home Office, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and the Social Exclusion Unit. Her civil service career began in the then Department for Education and Employment in 1999.

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With the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our lives, it is understandable that the threat from terrorism isn’t necessarily front of mind for everyone across the country. But the threat of terrorism has not gone away.

Given national and regional restrictions, there will be a different look and feel to public locations and workplace environments over the festive season. However, the recent terror attacks in Europe and the change in the UK’s terrorism threat level to SEVERE – meaning an attack is highly likely – are reminders of how important it is to stay vigilant whenever you are out and about.

This year in the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) we will again be joining policing colleagues and businesses across the UK to support and promote the Counter Terrorism Policing Winter campaign, together with promoting our Project Servator deployments and festive campaign material. All with the same purpose to PROTECT, by reminding everyone in the communities that we serve to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.

In the same way that we must work collectively to tackle coronavirus, we must all take personal responsibility to play our part in staying alert to what we see and hear, and feel is going on around us. The collective efforts of police, security staff, retail workers and the public provide a powerful defence against terrorism. Together communities defeat terrorism.

Assistant Chief Constable Andrea Bishop, MDP CONTEST Board Lead, said:

We have a strong network of vigilant eyes and ears in the communities in and around the sites where MDP officers are deployed and we work, throughout the year, with our policing and security partners and local employers and businesses, to give advice and guidance on safety and security measures. However, we must not be complacent, and I urge everyone to remain vigilant and to report anything suspicious or that just doesn’t seem right.

A collective and proactive community effort to security will always be the most effective defence that we have against terrorism. We know a terrorist attack can happen anywhere and at any time and although the establishments we protect have an ingrained security focused culture, it is important that all staff and members of the public keep that focus and awareness in and outside the workplace. By working together, we can all help to keep each other safe.

MDP Project Servator teams will continue to be out on the ground throughout the Winter months and festive season, with deployments that can pop up at anytime and anywhere. Even at distance our officers can still spot the tell-tale signs of criminal activity. We will engage with you at safe distance to let you know that we’re there to keep you safe and we will encourage you to report anything suspicious.

If you see or hear something suspicious, trust your instincts and report your concerns to police, security or staff. We’ll do the rest.

Reports can also be made in confidence at www.gov.uk/ACT. To report suspicious activity to the MDP call 01371 854444. In an emergency always call 999.

Find out more about Project Servator, CONTEST and how you can help to defeat terrorism: