Ofqual鈥檚 interim top boss will be in post for a year after Dr Jo Saxton leaves in December for the University and Colleges Admission Service. Saxton is joining UCAS after just two years at the regulator. In a letter , published this week, Gillian Keegan said she intended to appoint an interim chief regulator on an 鈥渆xceptional basis鈥� for 12 months from January. Keegan said this 鈥渢akes account of the challenge of recruiting an experience suitable candidate to such a high profile and a challenging role on a short-term basis鈥�. She intends to carry out a full, public appointments process for a permanent successor as soon as possible. Ofqual will have had five chief regulators in four years, including two other interims. Sally Collier resigned in August 2020 over that year鈥檚 grading fiasco. She was replaced on an interim basis by Dame Glenys Stacey, who was also her predecessor. Simon Lebus replaced Stacey, again on an interim basis, in January 2021, and then Saxton took over in September of that year. Keegan also asked the committee of cross-party MPs how it 鈥渨ould like to engage鈥� with appointing the interim official. Permanent appointees are quizzed by the MPs in pre-appointment hearings. Keegan said Saxton鈥檚 leadership has been 鈥渋nvaluable in stabilising Ofqual following a challenging few years鈥�, but the next 12 months 鈥渨ill be a challenging period 鈥� which will require continuity and stability of leadership鈥�.