An Ofsted spokeswoman cited 'personal and health reasons' for Ms Smith's departure, just weeks before the publication of a report on the Directorate's first year of operation. Maurice Smith, Ofsted early years regional manager for the north-west region, is now acting director for early years, and is leading Ofsted's work in the regulation of daycare and early years education.
Ms Smith's appointment to the new post in March 2001 was welcomed by early years organisations as she brought a strong early years background, which included being director of children's services for the charity Barnardo's, founding a community nursery in Keighley, West Yorkshire, working with lone parent charity Gingerbread as a daycare development officer and being head of children's services at Manchester City Council.
But Ofsted has faced criticism since the Directorate began last year for delays during the introduction of the Criminal Records Bureau, performance targets not being met and reported communication problems between providers and the Early Years Directorate.
Sue Owen, head of the early childhood unit at the National Children's Bureau, said Ms Smith's time at the Early Years Directorate had laid a good foundation that now needed to be built upon. She said, 'Maggie Smith is a person the sector respected very much. A few people were worried that the early years would be swallowed up in an anonymous organisation and their needs ignored, but people trusted her and felt she was a good choice for the job.
'In the future I would like to see someone with a specific early years focus to carry on her work. It has only been a year, so it is very early days yet and there have been enormous administration difficulties, as could be expected with massive changes. Some good consolidation is now needed.'
