The new Ofsted chief has warned behaviour in some schools has become so bad that teachers now lock themselves in classrooms at lunch.
Sir Martyn Oliver, who became Ofsted's chief inspector at the start of this year, he has experienced some of the 'most broken' schools in the country but has been able to 'turn them around'.
He told The Times that he has visited schools where staff have been forced to lock themselves in their classrooms due to safety concerns, while others were being stopped by children for stepping into 'no-go' areas.
As the new chief inspector, Oliver has already held a meeting with Professor Julia Waters, the sister of headteacher Ruth Perry, who took her own her life last January after an Ofsted report downgraded her school from the highest grade to the lowest.
Professor Waters warned Oliver that 'sticking plaster' improvements to the school inspection system would not be enough to change the system, which itself requires a massive overhaul.
Oliver told The Times that he found Mrs Perry's death to be a shocking and tragic incident and is adamant that Ofsted must carry out its role 'in a way that is sensitive to the pressures faced by leaders and staff'.
He admitted that he sought the role due to organisation's troubled reputation and is ready for the challenge of changing its culture.
He said: 'Everything starts with leadership, with vision and efficacy. I'm ensuring all staff are open and transparent and not defensive — and working with different groups, making sure that when listening to people, especially parents.
'That's how you change the culture of an organisation; I've managed to do that many times, I've gone into difficult schools with difficult cultures, and I've been able to turn them around.'
'I think I'm uniquely placed, with the experiences that I've had — of going into schools where staff were on strike because the behaviour was so bad. Students were stopping staff saying this is a no-go corridor. It belongs to the children.
'Or staff locking themselves in their classroom during break and lunch time for safety reasons.
