Sir Martyn Oliver is the government’s choice to be Ofsted’s new chief inspector of schools from next year.
The Department for Education has been interviewing candidates to replace Amanda Spielman, whose extended term in charge of the watchdog is due to come to an end this year.
Tes revealed in May that Sir Martyn was among three high-profile multi-academy trust chief executives being considered for the post.
It is now understood that he has been selected following interviews of shortlisted candidates.
The DfE said today that “no final decisions have yet been made on the new chief inspector of Ofsted”.
An announcement is expected to be made in the coming week before the end of the academic year.
Sir Martyn has been the chief executive of Outwood Grange Academies Trust since 2016, overseeing the MAT as it has more than doubled in size.
Other high-profile candidates who were considered for the role include Sir Ian Bauckham, the chair of Ofqual and chief executive of Tenax Schools Trust, and Tim Coulson, chief executive of Unity Schools Partnership.
Sir Martyn, who was knighted for services to education last year, could face a change of government in his first year in the role after next year’s general election.
Ofsted chief-in-waiting to face MPs
Before taking up the post, he will appear before the Commons Education Select Committee for a pre-appointment hearing, which is expected to take place after the summer recess.
In 2016 the DfE pushed ahead with installing Ms Spielman as its next chief inspector despite MPs on the committee warning that it did not support the appointment.
She took up the post in 2017, replacing Sir Michael Wilshaw, and her term was extended until the end of 2023 two years ago, taking into account the disruption of the Covid pandemic, which led to routine inspection being halted for more than 12 months.
Sir Martyn was one of a number of high-profile critics of the way Ofsted implemented its current curriculum-focused Education Inspection Framework when it was introduced in 2019.
He said: “Ofsted was trying to solve the problem of exam factories and schools teaching to the test. However, inspectors on the ground are taking a far too simplistic view on when GCSE teaching should begin. Many of the children in our schools need a three-year run-up.”
The change in leadership at Ofsted comes at a time of turmoil for the inspectorate, which has come under fire from the schools sector following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.
Ms Perry’s family have said she took her own life following an Ofsted inspection at her school, which was subsequently downgraded from “outstanding” to “inadequate”.
The news led to calls for Ofsted inspection to be paused.
There is also an ongoing debate over how school inspection will be carried out in future, with Labour announcing that it would consult on dropping single-word inspection judgements if it is elected next year.
