1994 Chris Woodhead upsets teachers as soon as he is appointed by calling in the “Daily Mail” for useless teachers to be sacked.
November 1995 Claims that there are 15,000 incompetent teachers.
February 1998 Accuses three education academics, including Exeter University’s Ted Wragg, of being “at the heart of darkness” for promoting unsound teaching methods and for wasting pound;60 million a year on research of “dubious value”.
April 1998 Angers schools after claiming they waste time on activities, such as making things out of egg-boxes, that do nothing for learning.
February 1999 Hangs on to his job after making grovelling TV apology for saying sex between teachers and pupils could be “educative and experiential”. Details of his nine-year affair with former pupil Amanda Johnston emerge.
March 1999 Tony Blair urged to investigate after Mr Woodhead’s ex-wife, Cathy, claims he had sex with Johnston while she was still a pupil.
June 1999 Criticised by members of Commons Education Select Committee for his outspoken style - which they called “more about ego than education”.
July 1999 Unions are furous when the chief inspector is awarded pound;10,500 performance bonus on top of his pound;115,000 salary.
August 1999 Told to “mind his own business” after criticising Scottish primaries.
January 2000 Denies Section 28 has encouraged homophobic bullying in schools.
March 2000 Questions quality of media studies and other fashionable university degrees.
April 2000 Enters row over teachers’ pay by accusing unions of using children as “pawns”.
April 2000 In the firing line again after claims that an inspection triggered the suicide of primary teacher Pamela Relf.
May 2000 Criticised by the National Association of Head Teachers for running “a system more suited to the Spanish inquisition”.
June 2000 Forced to apologise to Durham council for an “unwarranted” intervention in a complaint against a registered inspector.
September 2000 Provokes new row over exam standards by claiming A-levels are too easy.
November 2000 Tells a Commons select committee he will not be censored from making controversial comments on education, despite claims from critics that it is not part of his remit.
