January to March 2016 business appointment rules
Updated 1 October 2026
Applies to England
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Transparency information about outside appointments or employment taken up by former members of the Department for Education at senior civil servant (SCS) band 1 and SCS band 2 level and equivalents (including special advisers of equivalent standing), and which fall within the scope of the business appointment rules.
January to March 2016
Full name of applicant: Paul Smith
Title of former Civil Service role: Regional Schools Commissioner
Date left or retired from the Civil Service: 31 December 2015
Date of new appointment or employment: 1 January 2016
New employer and job title: Future Academies Trust, Chief Executive Officer of the Multi Academy Trust
Department’s decision on application (including details of any waiting period or other conditions or restrictions applied): Paul is an experienced and successful professional school leader. Paul has returned to school leadership after a short stint in the Civil Service. The application was approved with the exception that Paul cannot be personally involved in lobbying DfE on behalf of his new employer for a period of 6 months.