Amanda Spielman | Schools Week

Spielman warns sixth form colleges about drop in Ofsted grades

Sixth-form colleges have received worse Ofsted grades this year, meaning that fewer than were first expected will now be permitted to create academy trusts. The drop was brought up by Amanda Spielman, the chief inspector of Ofsted, who told delegates at the Sixth Form Colleges Association conference last Wednesday that while sixth-form colleges were the […]

Amanda Spielman, chief inspector, Ofsted

Two months into the job and Amanda Spielman, Ofsted’s new chief inspector, has shot out of the traps as you would expect – with research in hand. Criticised by the education select committee for lacking passion, Spielman is well-known for being a data-nerd. As chair of qualifications regulator Ofqual, she zeroed in on making decisions […]

Ofsted drops letters praising ‘exceptional’ heads

Ofsted has dropped a commitment to send letters to headteachers doing an “exceptional turnaround job” at other schools after just one year and only five letters sent. The scheme was introduced by former chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw in September 2015 as a way to recognise heads “taking risks, putting themselves out and disseminating good […]

Spielman: Inspection reliability study is ‘just first step’ of Ofsted research push

Amanda Spielman has pledged to continue ‘inspecting the inspectors’ as part of a new Ofsted research drive after publishing a landmark reliability study. The education watchdog has this morning published the findings of its reliability study on short inspections – where two inspectors were sent to the same school to see if they gave the […]

Roger Taylor appointed as new chair of exams regulator Ofqual

Former journalist and Careers and Enterprise Company adviser Roger Taylor will replace Amanda Spielman as the chair of the exams regulator Ofqual, it has been announced. Justine Greening, the education secretary, has appointed Taylor to replace Spielman in January, when she will become the chief inspector of Ofsted. Taylor, already a member of the Ofqual […]

Mary Bousted, general secretary of ATL and TUC president

Mary Bousted is sitting in her central London office near Trafalgar Square and quibbling with my first question. “It’s funny you say I’m strident, because that’s not how I feel. “It’s simply that it has always been apparent to me that the direction of travel set in train by Michael Gove would come unravelled. And […]

Ofsted chair resigns weeks after disparaging remarks about Isle of Wight

Ofsted chair David Hoare is stepping down from his position with immediate effect, the education watchdog has confirmed. An Ofsted spokesperson told FE Week, Schools Week’s sister paper, this morning that senior non-executive board member James Kempton has agreed to take on the role of chair on an interim basis — while Justine Greening, the education […]

It’s official: Amanda Spielman approved as Ofsted chief inspector

Amanda Spielman has been approved by the Privy Council as Ofsted’s next chief inspector, the government has confirmed. The Department for Education told Schools Week this afternoon that the Council, which is made up of current and former ministers, party leaders and foreign dignitaries and advises the Queen, has signed off on Spielman’s appointment. In a statement, […]

Nicky Morgan confirms Spielman choice for Ofsted chief inspector

Education secretary Nicky Morgan has confirmed she will press ahead with plans to appoint Amanda Spielman as chief inspector of Ofsted. Morgan announced her intentions in a scathing letter to education select committee chair Neil Carmichael, published this afternoon. It follows the committee recommending Spielman is rejected for the role, saying she “lacked passion” and […]