Sir Chris Woodhead | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christopher Anthony Woodhead 20 October 1946 Cockfosters, London, England |
| Died | 23 June 2015 (aged 68) Cockfosters, London, England |
| Cause of death | Motor neurone disease |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Chief Inspector of Schools |
Sir Christopher Anthony Woodhead (20 October 1946 – 23 June 2015) was a British educator. He was head of Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, from 1994 to 2000. Ofsted is a non-ministerial department of the UK government. The head of Ofsted is also Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in England, which is a crown appointment.[1]
Woodhead graduated in English at the University of Bristol, where he also took a PGCE.[2] He obtained a Master of Arts in English from Keele University in 1974.
In 1976, he left teaching, allegedly as the result of an affair with a sixth-form pupil, something he always denied.[3] Later, he moved into teacher education.
Woodhead was one of the most controversial figures in debates on the direction of English education policy.[4] Woodhead advocated "traditional teaching methods". He took a scornful view of "progressive educational theories" introduced into English schools from the 1960s onwards.
He was Chairman of Cognita, a company dedicated to fostering private education, from 2004 to 2013.[5]
Woodhead died after a nine-year battle with motor neurone disease, aged 68.