Jonathan Slater had lost the confidence of the prime minister, a source saidBoris Johnson has sacked the most senior civil servant at the Department for Education in the growing fallout from the exams fiasco and the U-turn over masks in schools. Jonathan Slater has been told by Sir Mark Sedwill, the cabinet secretary, that he is to leave his position by the end of the week. Ministers have had concerns about the department’s performance for some time, particularly after controversies over the reopening of schools and exam grading. Susan Ackland-Hood, who became an interim second permanent secretary only at the weekend, has been moved into Mr Slater's role temporarily. His sacking comes a day after Sally Collier quit as the head of Ofqual, the exams

Source: The Times August 26, 2020 15:56 UTC