Ofsted head in row over call for help

The new chief inspector for schools is starting his reign with a row over his call for local commissioners to be appointed to sack incompetent heads and spot failing schools.

Sir Michael Wilshaw, who takes over as head of Ofsted on 1 January, said the tasks should not be left to him alone now growing numbers of schools were becoming independent academies.

Headteachers' leaders said the idea would need "a complete U-turn" from the Government as it sounded like a return to the days of local authority control.

"It would add substantially to the cost of the education service by appointing a tier of expensive officials and adopting a model of top-down management," Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, added.