IN his attack on Chris Woodhead (TES, July 31), John Dunford suggests that since HMCI has played a part in establishing the school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) scheme in nationally “outstanding” primary schools, it will not be able to be subjected to independent inspection.
Such a suggestion not only undermines the chief inspector’s integrity, but it also undermines the work of the Teacher Training Agency, the DFEE, Nottingham University, and those who will be inspecting our scheme.
Our scheme has attracted a huge number of applications from graduates eager to train in our schools, and as our summer school approaches we face our first year with the highest expectations for all our students, and all our schools. This is an exciting initiative, and we both expect, and invite, the most demanding inspection of our performance.
This scheme will be successful because of the vision, skills and commitment of many people: it will not be as a result of a “favourable” inspection, and for John Dunford to imply otherwise is at best mischievous, but at worst both derogatory and highly unprofessional.
Jim Hudson. (Chair, national outstanding schools SCITT management board). Two Mile Ash Middle School. Milton Keynes