Ofsted wants experienced school leader to take over from Spielman

Job advert for the £165k role states it is an 'important time' to lead the watchdog and 'embed' the 'relatively new' inspection framework

Job advert for the £165k role states it is an 'important time' to lead the watchdog and 'embed' the 'relatively new' inspection framework

14 Mar 2023, 17:02

More from this author

Ofsted is looking for a leader with “significant experience” at a senior level in schools or trusts and a “high degree of personal integrity” to become its next chief inspector.

Amanda Spielman will leave the role at the end of this year after seven years in the hot seat.

A job advert to find her £165,000 successor is now live.

A foreword for the role written by education secretary Gillian Keegan states government wants a chief inspector “with significant experience in the school and trust sector, but who can command respect across all the sectors” within Ofsted’s remit.

Experience in at least one of the other areas within Ofsted’s inspection and regulatory remit, such as further education, early years and children’s social care, is labelled as “desirable criteria”.

Keegan said it was an “important time” to lead the watchdog, with hopefuls able to demonstrate the ability to “embed” and “take forward, build on and improve” the “relatively new” inspection framework.

They must do so while “maintaining and enhancing a strong organisational reputation for valid, reliable, objective and fair judgements”.

They must also be able to “adapt to the changing education” landscape with the “increasing importance” of academy trusts and social care reform marking a “considering period of organisational change” for the watchdog, Keegan added.

Candidates must also show “excellent judgement under pressure and a high degree of personal integrity, including experience of taking difficult, independent, calls in a senior position with high profile”.

Trust body boss on adviser panel

An advisory assessment panel will carry out interviews and recommend candidates to the education secretary, who makes the final decision.

The panel is made up of Ofsted chair Dame Christine Ryan, Ofqual chief regulator Dr Jo Saxton, a senior Department for Education official and Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the academy trust body CST.

One issue could be a potential change of government should Labour win the next election, scheduled to take place by January 2025 at the latest.

Last week, shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson set out the party’s intention to reform the watchdog.

Proposals include scrapping its current grading system and replacing it with a new “report card” for schools and FE and skills.

‘Respond proactively to policy direction’

The advert states the chief inspector will need to “respond proactively to the direction of government policy and strategy”.

Chief inspectors are appointed for a term of up to five years by the King.

Spielman was given a two-year extension due to Covid disrupting the roll-out of her inspection framework. It means she will be the longest-serving chief inspector.

The deadline for applications is April 6, with the successful candidate taking office on 1 January 2024.

Once the government has chosen its preferred candidate, they will appear before the education select committee who decide whether to back the decision.

However government can ignore this, as then education secretary Nicky Morgan did when appointing Spielman in 2016.

The committee was concerned Spielman, who had worked in the finance sector before holding a senior position at Ark Schools and later chairing Ofqual, had not been a teacher.

Latest education roles from

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Dodd Partners

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

Apprenticeships are for life, not just National Apprenticeship Week

National Apprenticeship Week is one of the awareness events that we all mark in our calendars. It’s a hive...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Functional Skills reimagined: Drive success in English & Mathematics with modern qualifications.

In today’s educational landscape, supporting learners with essential English and maths skills goes beyond traditional teaching. It’s about providing...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Do you want to be part of The Bedford College Group’s next chapter?

At The Bedford College Group, we are passionate about transforming lives and communities through education. As one of the...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

It’s Education’s Time to Shine: Celebrate your Education Community in 2025!

The deadline is approaching to nominate a colleague, team, whole school or college for the 2025 Pearson National Teaching...

Advertorial

More from this theme

Apprenticeships, Ofsted

Public relations training firm rated ‘outstanding’

Apprenticeships provision at international PR company lauded for ‘exceptional’ leadership

Anviksha Patel
Ofsted

Ofsted report cards: We’ll face more pressure, not less, say FE staff

Leaders warn of 'greater risk of error' which is likely to lead to more complaints

Billy Camden
Ofsted, Politics, Skills reform

DfE considers extending ‘school profile’ plans to FE providers

Ministers will also rule on a new 'proportionate and relevant' approach to accountability amid Ofsted's report cards plan

Billy Camden
Ofsted

Ofsted report cards for FE: What you need to know

Watchdog sets out plan for new grading scale and areas that will be judged

Anviksha Patel

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

One comment

  1. Phillip Hatton

    Long overdue but highly unlikely to get someone who ticks all the right boxes. A CI needs to understand how inspection should improve individual providers and the sectors inspected. We all know it will be someone who has experience of schools at a strategic level, possibly governance or as a trust CEO. The inspection framework is a red herring and should be reviewed urgently, one size does not fit all.