The leader of a multi-academy trust tipped to be Ofsted’s next chief inspector has urged the inspectorate to carry out an urgent thematic review of attendance in schools.
Martyn Oliver, chief executive of Outwood Grange Academies Trust (OGAT), has been recommended as a replacement for current chief inspector Amanda Spielman, who will step down from the post at the end of the year.
Giving evidence to the education select committee ahead of his expected appointment, Oliver told cross-party MPs that a focus on school attendance was necessary to improve outcomes for the most disadvantaged pupils.
Asked by Conservative MP for Meon Valley Flick Drummond how he would go about improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, Oliver said: “I desperately need Ofsted to do a thematic dive into attendance.”
