Former Ofsted chief accuses Labour ministers of putting union wishes ahead of children's welfare by brutally attacking the freedom of academies

The former head of Ofsted launched a major attack on the Education Secretary today, accusing her of prioritising unions' interests above those of schoolchildren. Amanda Spielman, who was chief inspector of the schools watchdog from 2017 to 2023, demanded Bridget Phillipson drop proposed reforms that would rein in academies. Amanda Spielman who was chief inspector of the schools watchdog from 2017 to 2023, has called on Bridget Phillipson to drop proposed reforms Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities Bridget Phillipson The proposed changes include forcing academies to teach the national curriculum for the first time and strip them of their power to recruit expert teachers who do not have official qualifications. A Department for Education spokesman said: 'Our landmark Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill – alongside our new regional improvement teams and Ofsted reforms – delivers on our mission for every child to have a good, local school, will get high-quality teachers into every classroom, and ensure that all schools can innovate to attract and retain the best talent.' The research analyses data held in the National Pupil Database, as well as pupil absence data derived from the half-termly school census, to assess the disadvantage gap among state school pupils in England.