Williams, former Wales officer of the National Union of Teachers, has become education and training adviser to Rhodri Morgan, first secretary of the Welsh Assembly.

Mr Williams taught English in Nottingham before becoming head of English at Lampeter comprehensive. He was an NUT Wales officer for 10 years before taking up his new Assembly post.

Barbara Comiskey becomes

Middlesbrough’s education director in July, succeeding Cheryle Berry, who has become education and cultural services director for Lincolnshire.

She is currently assistant education director at Salford, on secondment to support Rotherham education authority after a critical report by the Office for Standards in Education.

Roger Taylor is confirmed as Derbyshire’s chief education officer. He was acting education director for 10 months after Valerie Hannon’s retirement. Mr Taylor, a former physics and maths teacher, has been a

Derbyshire education service mnager for 26 years.

Sandra Davies, head of Ogmore comprehensive in South Wales, has joined the board of ACCAC, the Welsh qualifications, curriculum and assessment authority.

Mary Morris, acting head of St Helen’s private girls’ school, in Northwood, Middlesex, has been appointed head.

Lindsey French has been appoined technical officer of Professionals Allied to Teaching, a new division of the Professional Association of Teachers. The division, launched in April, provides support for professionals who work alongside teachers in schools or colleges.

Chris Ashton has become assistant director responsible for school improvement and development in the London borough of Lambeth. A former headteacher in Lewisham, Mr Ashton was seconded to the Office for Standards in Education to work on the additional inspector project before joining Lambeth in 1998 as a primary adviser. The borough’s advisory service was praised last year by OFSTED.