Beleagured schools inspector Chris Woodhead found a friendly audience when he addressed a conference in York.

It was firmly business as usual for the man in charge of Ofsted, on the same day as he faced calls by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) for a criminal probe into whether he lied on oath about a relationship with a former pupil.

He declined to answer questions about the NAHT vote as he left the annual conference of the Independent Schools Association at the Royal York Hotel.

But he issued a statement in response to its call on Education Secretary David Blunkett to submit evidence from his ex-wife to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

He said: "If your critics cannot fault the logic or your argument, they will attack your reputation. The teacher unions have been trying to get rid of me since I was appointed. The NAHT's action today is their latest attempt.

"No doubt it will serve to generate more columns of newsprint and minutes of airtime. So be it. There is nothing I can do to prevent these attempts to distract me from my job as chief inspector. As far as I am concerned, it is business as usual. I shall, that is, continue to run Ofsted; support the Secretary of State in his crusade to raise educational standards; and do everything I can to ensure that every child in this country receives the education he or she deserves."

Mr Woodhead received warm and prolonged applause when he arrived at the conference and when he finished speaking - and when he commented that he was pleased the assembled media had realised the newsworthiness of the Independent Schools Association.

He added he was pleased to be back in York, having worked in the city for two years with the National Curriculum Council.

He expressed optimism for the future of British education, despite continuing problems over levels of literacy and numeracy, saying no-one now questioned the need to raise standards, and less people "took refuge" in socio-economic arguments to explain educational failure.

see COMMENT 'stop this hounding'

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