Gove blocked ‘no-notice’ inspections – Ofsted chief

Mr Gove told the House of Commons on Monday that all schools could now face no-notice inspections after an investigation into the alleged “Trojan Horse” plot by hard-line Muslims to take over schools in Birmingham uncovered a “culture of fear and intimidation”.

We had a robust discussion about it and I am really pleased that minds have been changed. Sir Michael Wilshaw

On Monday Sir Michael Wilshaw, chief executive of Ofsted, said he welcomed that “minds have been changed” as he had proposed the measure in 2012.

“It is something that I called for two years ago when I first joined. That is something I discussed with the secretary of state,” he told Newsnight.

“He said that we need to look at this and we need to listen to what headteachers are saying about needing to be in the school prior to the inspection so they can have a preliminary dialogue with the inspectors about how the inspection should be conducted. So we pulled back on that so they now have just a few hours.

“We had a robust discussion about it and I am really pleased that minds have been changed.”

‘Wrong’

Five Birmingham schools were placed in special measures by Ofsted, after it inspected 21 schools that were linked to the alleged plot.

Mr Gove told the House of Commons that a range of measures would be taken, including the introduction of spot inspections. He said funding agreements had been suspended with the schools in special measures, and said academy sponsors were poised to takeover.

He said more would be done to require schools to promote British values.

The row over the alleged plot has been a damaging one for Mr Gove, who was forced to issue an apology after publicly feuding with Theresa May. The home secretary lost her special adviser, Fiona Cunningham, in the row.

However the BBC quoted a senior Department for Education source as saying that Sir Michael was “wrong” to suggest that Mr Gove had blocked no-notice inspections, adding: “We will say more on this soon.”