The resignation of a fourth regional schools commissioner (RSC) has sparked renewed concern about the attractiveness of the key role to education leaders.

Vicky Beer, who only took over as RSC for Lancashire and West Yorkshire in November 2015, will leave to become executive principal at Parrs Wood High School in Manchester.

She will also lead the Greater Manchester Learning Trust, an embryonic multi-academy trust (MAT) that the school formed last year.

RSCs have become increasingly powerful figures since they were first introduced in 2014, with responsibility for judging applications for new academies, free schools and academy sponsors, and deciding the fate of failing and ”coasting” schools.

Two other RSCs, Pank Patel and Ms Beer’s predecessor Paul Smith, had already resigned to become school or academy trust leaders.

A fourth, Jennifer Bexon-Smith, announced her retirement as RSC for the East Midlands and the Humber last month, while Sir David Carter, the original RSC for South West England, became national schools commissioner last year.

Matthew Wolton, a partner specialising in academies at law firm Knights, told TES that he expected more RSCs with education backgrounds to serve for short periods, before taking jobs with multi-academy trusts (MATs).

“I know that when they are looking to fill RSC slots, they are keen to have school people involved, but making that change from being CEO and master of your own destiny, where you can make a direct impact, and moving into a civil service role, is a big step,” he said.

He added that pay was an additional factor, with constraints on civil servant salaries meaning they could earn significantly more money in the academy sector.

“‘Poaching’ is an emotive word, but I think it’s relevant,” he told TES.

“All it takes is a MAT to come waving a £200,000 cheque, and there you go. The concern is that, from a MAT perspective, if you are looking for a CEO, someone who has been an RSC - that’s a pretty good selling point. They know how the RSC world works and what the RSCs are looking at. They know how the system works.”

In response to Ms Beer’s resignation, Sir David Carter tweeted: “Pleased for ‪@RSC_LWY that she has an executive leadership role. Exactly what RSC should do and take their experience back to schools.”

In a second tweet, he said that there was a “strong field” for the vacant East Midlands and the Humber role, and that there was “interest already” in filling Ms Beer’s shoes.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Vicky Beer is stepping down from her position and the recruitment process for a new regional schools commissioner in Lancashire and West Yorkshire has begun.”