Get the best experience in our app
Enjoy offline reading, category favourites, and instant updates - right from your pocket.

Dame Christine Gilbert to be appointed chair of Ofsted’s board

Former chief inspector, who led a major review into Ofsted, has been selected as chair of the schools watchdog
11th June 2025, 10:43am

Share

Dame Christine Gilbert to be appointed chair of Ofsted’s board

https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/dame-christine-gilbert-be-appointed-chair-ofsteds-board
Dame Christine Gilbert Ofsted

Dame Christine Gilbert is to be announced as the new chair of Ofsted’s board today, Tes understands.

Dame Christine is a former Ofsted chief inspector and most recently led an independent review into the schools watchdog, which revealed concerns about its culture and funding.

She will take over from Sir Hamid Patel, chief executive of Star Academies, who was appointed interim chair of the Ofsted board in March.

The last permanent chair, Dame Christine Ryan, was in post from 2020 until earlier this year.

‘Ambitious agenda’

After leading Ofsted from 2006 to 2011, Dame Christine Gilbert became chair of Camden Learning, is a visiting professor at UCL Institute of Education, and has been chairing the Education Endowment Foundation since 2024.

She was asked to review Ofsted’s response to the death of headteacher Ruth Perry after a coroner ruled that an inspection had contributed to her taking her own life.

It also called on Ofsted to advise the Department for Education and the new government of the dangers associated with chasing school inspection volume at the expense of inspection quality.

In its response, Ofsted said that it did not accept that it has chased inspection volumes over quality.

Dame Christine also criticised the inspectorate for its “defensive response” following Ms Perry’s death, called for more training for inspectors and raising concerns over the level of funding the schools watchdog received. 

She also found that the role of Ofsted’s board was “curiously limited”.

Ofsted said that its response to the Gilbert review would strengthen accountability and support the new chair to take forward an “ambitious, longer-term reform agenda”.

Want to keep reading for free?

Register with Tes and you can read five free articles every month, plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters.

Register with Tes and you can read five free articles every month, plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters.

Keep reading for just £4.90 per month

/per month for 12 months

You've reached your limit of free articles this month. Subscribe for £4.90 per month for three months and get:

  • Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
  • Exclusive subscriber-only stories
  • Award-winning email newsletters

You've reached your limit of free articles this month. Subscribe for £4.90 per month for three months and get:

  • Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
  • Exclusive subscriber-only stories
  • Award-winning email newsletters

topics in this article

Recent
Most read
Most shared