Recruitment is the biggest challenge facing England’s schools, says Wilshaw

Speaking to MPs on 16 September, Wilshaw claimed that too much time is spent debating structures rather than the bigger issue of capacity within the English school system, calling for a debate on how to ensure more good people are brought in.

Wilshaw said: “All of our concentration should be not so much about structures, we talk too much about that. The debate should move on to capacity issues.”

He added: “The big debate is needed on how we can ensure we have more good people into the system. That is the big challenge for the country at the moment.”  

The Ofsted chief also called for inspections at schools that have been judged ‘Outstanding’, as there are still risks when it comes to safeguarding children, making reference to the Trojan Horse scandal in Birmingham.

He said: “It is a risk and that is why I’ve called for the government to change the legislation to allow Ofsted to inspect outstanding schools on the same basis we inspect other schools and other good schools. We only go into outstanding schools if standards are declining.”

“Three-quarters of outstanding schools aren’t inspected and that gave the opportunity of the governors in those schools in Birmingham to do what they did, because they knew Ofsted would not be around to check.”

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