Headteachers should lead from the front and banish the fear that surrounds a visit from Ofsted inspectors, a leading headteacher has said.

Writing in the latest issue of TES, John Tomsett, headteacher of Huntington School in York and a founding member of the Headteachers’ Roundtable thinktank, said it was “too easy” for a school leader to threaten teachers in response to pressure from the inspectorate.

Instead, headteachers should accept that Ofsted inspectors want to see what really happens in the classroom, so the only option is to create a culture that allows staff to thrive professionally.

Mr Tomsett spells out a list of simple but effective methods that other school leaders can follow in order to create a secure environment in which staff feel supported to improve their teaching.

To read the list check out the full article in the 19 December edition of TES on your tablet or phone or by downloading the TES Reader app for Android or iOS. Or pick it up at all good newsagents.