Michael Wilshaw

Sir Michael Wilshaw (born August 1946) is a former teacher and headmaster who was made Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England and head of Ofsted in October 2011.

The son of a postman, Wilshaw grew up in a Catholic household in south London in the 1950s. He went to a south London grammar school, and then St Mary's teacher training college in Twickenham. He later took a part-time History degree at Birkbeck, University of London while teaching in various London schools. At the age of 39 he was appointed head teacher of St Bonaventure's Catholic Comprehensive School, also known informally as St. Bon's, in Forest Gate, London. Whilst there he was knighted in 2000 for services to education.^[1]

But he is most famous for his role as executive principal of Mossbourne academy in Hackney since 2003. The school, less than one mile from the Pembury estate – the scene of the largest confrontation during the 2011 riots in London – achieves results of which many fee-paying schools are envious. It replaced Hackney Downs school, which was described as the worst in Britain before closing in 1995.^[2]

Some 82% of pupils achieve at least five good GCSEs including English and maths - far above the national average of 53%. Its pupils wear smart shirts, ties and blazers and are required to recite a mantra before every lesson. But at times Sir Michael's style has been controversial and his methods hit the headlines in 2007 when he banned pupils from hugging each other. He said, at the time, that it was to ensure accusations of people touching each other inappropriately could not be made.^[3]

References

1. ^ How the hero of Hackney aims to save our schools, from The Daily Telegraph, 2nd November 2011, pg 29
2. ^ Guardian.co.uk 14th October 2011
3. ^ bbc.co.uk 13th October 2011