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Academy trust CEO Sir Hamid Patel has been appointed interim chair of Ofsted.

Patel, who has been a member of the Ofsted board since 2019, will serve in the post until a successor is found for Dame Christine Ryan, who announced in November she would be stepping down.

Ryan will leave her role at the end of March, following four-and-a-half years as chair.

Patel is chief executive of, a multi-academy trust that runs 36 primaries and secondaries in northern England, the West Midlands, and London.

He will serve as interim chair of the Ofsted board for up to five months, until a new chair is appointed.

Ryan announced her decision to step down as chair last year, months after a damning independent review led by former HMI chief inspector Dame Christine Gilbert broadly criticised Ofsted’s response to headteacher Ruth Perry鈥檚 death.

Board criticised by Gilbert review

Gilbert said the watchdog’s response had appeared to be 鈥渄efensive and complacent鈥� and said it must move away 鈥渇rom the discourse that 鈥榠nspectors are never wrong鈥�.

The review also found the Ofsted board 鈥渉ad little or no involvement in determining the strategy for dealing with the crisis and communicating to the media and stakeholders鈥�.

The board鈥檚 role 鈥渁ppears curiously limited, apparently leaving some of Ofsted鈥檚 most critical activities outside of its control, unless HMCI chooses to let it have some control鈥�. 

鈥淭his degree of autonomy and entitlement for HMCI does not make for effective governance,” it said, adding that Ofsted should review its governance framework to 鈥渟trengthen the role of the board with the aim of establishing constructive challenge to support Ofsted in its learning and reform鈥�.

The watchdog accepted Gilbert’s recommendation to review its governance framework to 鈥渟trengthen the role鈥� of the board to help reduce the 鈥渆ntitlement鈥� of the chief inspector.

The inspectorate said this work would 鈥渟trengthen accountability and oversee Ofsted鈥檚 commitments to improved service delivery鈥�.

鈥淭hese efforts will support a newly appointed chair to take forward an ambitious, longer-term reform agenda.鈥�

Announcing her decision to step down as chair, Ryan said in November it had been a 鈥減rivilege鈥� to serve in the role, but that there was still 鈥渕uch to accomplish in the months ahead鈥�.

鈥淥f course, there have been challenges 鈥� from the impact of the pandemic at the outset of my tenure, to the scrutiny and changes of more recent times,鈥� she said at the time.

鈥淭he work Ofsted does is vital in ensuring that children and young people receive the education and care they deserve.鈥�

Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver, thanked her for her service as chair during a turbulent time for the inspectorate.

“She has successfully led the board through a time of significant challenge and change, culminating in our current consultation on the future approach to education inspections,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

“I am very pleased Sir Hamid will be supporting us as interim chair, while the government recruits Dame Christine鈥檚 successor. I look forward to working more closely with him and, in time, with a new chair.”