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Ofsted chief urged Michael Gove not to dismiss Lady Morgan Ofsted chief urged Michael Gove not to dismiss Lady Morgan
(about 2 hours later)
Sir Michael Wilshaw, the chief inspector of schools, has revealed that he urged Michael Gove not to dismiss Lady Morgan as chair of Ofsted, telling the education secretary that she had the trust of the Ofsted board and himself.
Wilshaw also revealed that he confronted Gove to ask whether his advisers had been behind newspaper reports denigrating the 1960s child-centred ideology of Ofsted. Sir Michael Wilshaw, the chief inspector of schools, yesterday said he had urged Michael Gove not to dismiss Lady Morgan as chair of Ofsted, telling the education secretary that she had the trust of the Ofsted board and himself.
Gove denied any dirty tricks conspiracy and Wilshaw said he regarded Gove as an honourable man and therefore believed him. Wilshaw also disclosed that he confronted Gove, to ask whether his advisers had been behind newspaper reports denigrating the 1960s child-centred ideology of Ofsted.
Gove denied any dirty tricks conspiracy and Wilshaw said that he regarded Gove as an honourable man and therefore believed him.
Wilshaw was appearing in front of the education select committee, where he said the briefings had damaged the authority of Ofsted inspectors.Wilshaw was appearing in front of the education select committee, where he said the briefings had damaged the authority of Ofsted inspectors.
Wilshaw's strong defence of Morgan, a Labour peer, is unlikely to lead to a change in Gove's decision not to re-appoint her, but leaves him extraordinarily isolated as the education secretary has been a great supporter of the Ofsted chief. Wilshaw's strong defence of Morgan, a Labour peer, is unlikely to lead to a change in Gove's decision not to re-appoint her, but leaves him looking isolated. Morgan's dismissal has stoked controversy over public appointments, with critics accusing the government of replacing people in high-profile roles with Tory supporters.
Explaining his reason for backing Morgan, Wilshaw said: "She stood foursquare behind me [and] gave me a huge amount of support and gave me very good advice. She is a very good chair of the board of Ofsted. She has their trust and she has the trust and confidence of the executive board. She is very knowledgeable about education.Explaining his reason for backing Morgan, Wilshaw said: "She stood foursquare behind me [and] gave me a huge amount of support and gave me very good advice. She is a very good chair of the board of Ofsted. She has their trust and she has the trust and confidence of the executive board. She is very knowledgeable about education.
"She is a big supporter of free schools and academies and of diversity and reform. So I did say to the secretary of state that I wanted her to continue, she was a very good chair and our working relationship was very strong.""She is a big supporter of free schools and academies and of diversity and reform. So I did say to the secretary of state that I wanted her to continue, she was a very good chair and our working relationship was very strong."
He added that he had exploded at newspaper reports suggesting the education secretary believed Ofsted was "mired in sixties child-centred ideology". He added that he had exploded at newspaper reports suggesting the education secretary believed Ofsted was "mired in 60s child-centred ideology".
He said generations of children had been failed in the 70s and 80s, but Ofsted inspectors had been integral to raising standards and expectations.He said generations of children had been failed in the 70s and 80s, but Ofsted inspectors had been integral to raising standards and expectations.
He told the committee: "These are people that are working incredibly hard all hours to support improvement in schools. They are as tough as teak, believe you me, and they certainly do not want to tarred with that sort of brush. He told the committee: "These are people that are working incredibly hard all hours to support improvement in schools. They are as tough as teak, believe you me, and they certainly do not want to be tarred with that sort of brush.
"I was very angry that the authority of Ofsted had been damaged at a time when we had been holding the ring of an increasingly atomised and autonomous system." "I was very angry that the authority of Ofsted had been damaged."
Wilshaw told the committee that Gove insisted no briefing had taken place and that there had been no dirty tricks. Asked if he accepted Gove's explanation, Wilshaw said: "He is an honourable man and I accepted his word."Wilshaw told the committee that Gove insisted no briefing had taken place and that there had been no dirty tricks. Asked if he accepted Gove's explanation, Wilshaw said: "He is an honourable man and I accepted his word."
He added that in retrospect he should have confronted Gove before giving a newspaper interview attacking his advisers, but he said he "spontaneously combusted" at the reports.He added that in retrospect he should have confronted Gove before giving a newspaper interview attacking his advisers, but he said he "spontaneously combusted" at the reports.
He again urged schools to do more to help what he regarded as unseen children, especially in coastal and rural areas. He said: "We have some counties in England that are performing incredibly badly. Suffolk and Norfolk amongst them."He again urged schools to do more to help what he regarded as unseen children, especially in coastal and rural areas. He said: "We have some counties in England that are performing incredibly badly. Suffolk and Norfolk amongst them."
He said his aim was to tackle the poverty of expectations, especially in some predominantly white working-class schools. He said that many of these youngsters were in areas of high deprivation, so the link between a job and attainment was weaker.He said his aim was to tackle the poverty of expectations, especially in some predominantly white working-class schools. He said that many of these youngsters were in areas of high deprivation, so the link between a job and attainment was weaker.
He argued that the quality of school behaviour was better than 20 years ago.He argued that the quality of school behaviour was better than 20 years ago.
"We don't see the outrageous stuff so much, but there needed to be a focus on low-level disruption and poor attitudes to learning.""We don't see the outrageous stuff so much, but there needed to be a focus on low-level disruption and poor attitudes to learning."
Discipline is parents' top priority but this was not the case for enough teachers, he said. Discipline is parents' top priority, but this was not the case for enough teachers, he said.
"It is really a leadership issue – getting out of the offices, pacing the corridors, making sure behaviour is good.""It is really a leadership issue – getting out of the offices, pacing the corridors, making sure behaviour is good."
He said the sanctions were available for teachers to use, such as detention without notice or bringing students into school on a Saturday morning.He said the sanctions were available for teachers to use, such as detention without notice or bringing students into school on a Saturday morning.
He added that performance of schools was no longer a money issue, but one of leadership and collaboration between good headteachers. The days of local authorities employing lots of school improvement officers were over, he said.He added that performance of schools was no longer a money issue, but one of leadership and collaboration between good headteachers. The days of local authorities employing lots of school improvement officers were over, he said.