Former Ofsted boss Amanda Spielman came out swinging yesterday tearing into Bridget Phillipson’s education reforms accusing her of putting unions’ interests ahead of students’. As Guido first revealed, Phillipson clocked an eye-watering 33 meetings with unions in just her first three months in office. Guido also has the minutes of some of those cosy meetings – full of backslapping and gratitude…
Spielman, who was chief inspector at the watchdog from 2017 to 2023, didn’t hold back telling The Telegraph:
“It will cut the autonomy of schools and school groups right back. It is hard to understand the motivation, beyond being seen to be different, though the new minister is clearly giving a great deal of time and attention to the desires and demands of unions. And alas, unions will always defend the interests of the adults in schools over those of children… I do hope she will think again, before the damage is done.”
Headteachers – including headmistress extraordinaire Katharine Birbalsingh – have slammed the proposed bill, which would force academies to follow the national curriculum for the first time and strip them of the power to hire expert teachers without official qualifications, such as retired academics. A government source hit back at Spielman with a stinging rebuke:
“Amanda Spielman should spend less time criticising this Government’s reforms and more time reflecting on her failure at Ofsted and on a teaching profession that entirely lost confidence in her as chief inspector.”
Phillipson is acknowledged even by Downing Street to be the “darling of the unions”. Kowtowing to the unions as Labour prepares to rip up reforms at students’ expense…
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”