Academies run by 'superhead' received advance notice of Ofsted checks
Academies run by a superhead praised by the government for producing schools that "outperform the rest" of the state sector had secret advance notice of Ofsted inspection dates, the Observer can reveal.
Evidence uncovered by this newspaper suggests that three schools in Norfolk, all overseen by Dame Rachel de Souza, knew of impending visits by inspectors days, and sometimes weeks, before Ofsted arrived.
One school was even able to draft in teachers who had never previously taught there to perform in front of inspectors, according to whistleblowers. Another, keen to make good on the advantage, was said to be a "hive of activity" in the days directly leading up to the inspection....
The revelations raise questions about the credibility of Ofsted, which has come under attack in recent years for becoming overly associated with the political goals of the government, including the promotion of the academy model, where schools are outside local authority supervision. Labour peer Baroness Morgan was removed as chair of Ofsted in May to be replaced by David Hoare, a trustee of the UK's largest academy chain, AET...
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/aug/17/academies-run-superhead-advance-notice-ofsted-checks
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