Atkins resigns from education and children’s social services inspectorate

The chair of the education and children’s social services inspectorate Ofsted Zenna Atkins has resigned, fuelling speculation that ministers plan significant changes at the organisation.

Atkins, who has been Ofsted chair since September 2006, said in a statement she had left to take a job heading up an un-named “global education provider”

Her departure comes in the wake of press reports earlier this week that ministers were keen to see the departure of Ofsted’s chief inpsector Christine Gilbert. Gilbert said she intended to see out her contract which runs to October 2011.

Ofsted has endured a punishing past 18 months, during which it was criticised for its handling of children’s social care inspection during recrimination over the the Baby P case, and for its approach to assessing schools.

Atkins, a social entrepreneur who was renowned for her outspoken criticisms of civil service culture, oversaw the controversial merger of the schools inspectorate with the Commission for Social Care Inspection in 2007. She said in a statement this morning: “Ofsted has achieved much of what I hoped it would achieve.”

John Roberts, Ofsted Non-Executive Board member said: “Zenna has helped transform Ofsted in her role as its first chairman. Working closely with HMCI, she has overseen the development of world-class inspection systems, including doubling the classroom observation time in school inspections and the introduction of unannounced inspections of front-line Children’s Services contact, referral and assessment arrangements, helping ensure the most vulnerable are better protected.”