Hundreds of headteachers are being driven out of the profession by Ofsted, England’s inspection agency, union leaders said this week. Many cannot talk publicly about their resignation because of gagging clauses in their contracts but The TES has found mounting evidence of pressure to quit.
Unions said Westminster government threats to close failing schools within a year would fuel the exodus of highly-trained heads. One in five schools already fails to fill the top job, research for the Secondary Heads Association and National Association of Head Teachers shows.
Ruth Kelly, Education Secretary, said this week that schools which fail to improve after a year could be reopened under new leadership, merged with a neighbour or turned into an academy from next year.
