Education secretary: I probably would have punched Ofsted inspectors

Gillian Keegan said she would have “probably punched” rude Ofsted staff as she spoke at the Association of School and College Leaders annual conference on Friday, 8 March.

The education secretary appeared to shock Q&A host Pepe Di’Iasio with a frank admission about a “fantastic” school she had recently visited.

Ms Keegan said: “They told me how their Ofsted experience had gone and I was shocked. I was actually shocked.

“I thought: God if I had met these people, I would have probably punched them. They were really rude.”

Mike Short, head of education at Unison, said: “To suggest punching people is an appropriate reaction is not becoming of a government minister.”