The revelation that some schools have been playing the system by paying present or former Ofsted inspectors to prepare them for inspections will do nothing to restore confidence in the way that schools are rated. It is astonishing that such an egregious conflict of interest on the part of some Ofsted staffers has been tolerated for this long. Not before time, Ofsted says that from September onwards inspectors will no longer be able to take on outside work with consultancy firms paid to ensure that schools get the right grades.
