Wilshaw calls for better leadership in schools

Sir Michael Wilshaw, chief inspector of Ofsted, has claimed that poor leadership in schools is putting off Teach First graduates from continuing in the profession.

Wilshaw made the comment at the Best in Class Summitt, hosted by the Sutton Trust, where he said improvements were needed in secondary schools, particularly were leadership was concerned. The chief inspector warned that teacher retention was critical to maintaining a quality teaching workforce and maintained that ‘unless we get leadership right then we will still continue to have problems.’

He said: “We need head teachers in our secondary schools who are going to be really transformative leaders and we haven’t got enough of them.

“We need battlers, we need bruisers, we need battleaxes who are going to fight the good fight and are absolutely determined to get high standards. We have got too many appeasers in our secondary schools that are prepared to put up with mediocrity.”

Reiterating Education Minister Nick Gibb’s call for greater social mobility, Wilshaw said it was a ‘moral outrage’ that independent schools were failing to do more to help disadvantaged children in neighbouring state schools.

Wilshaw added: “What we want are independent schools to take ownership of the outcomes in a local primary or secondary and show what can be done with great teaching and leadership. I get quite angry when I hear independent school heads saying ‘inequality is getting worse’ and wringing their hands, well we know that. They should get stuck in. Sponsor an academy.

“And I think they should lose their tax subsidies and the reliefs they get from the Charity Commission unless they sponsor an academy and show that they really mean what they say.”