Good Local Economics
Both often find themselves in the public eye, both are clearly strong minded and both are colourful characters, Batmanghelidjh for her clothes and Bird for his language! But what in my view sets them apart is the extent to which enterprise has featured in their success, or failure. And that, as the accusations and rumours fly in the aftermath of Batmanghelidjh’s charity The Kids Company, is where I want to focus.
Ofsted picks up a lot of flak from hard-pressed headteachers. If you’ve been close to a school as I have when the postman delivers the news of an imminent inspection, you’ll know that it’s rarely a welcome visit. Years ago, as chairman of governors of a rural Norfolk primary school, staff gasped when I arranged for the inspector to walk down the road to my office to interview me as part of an inspection. I guess I’ve always challenged the status quo!
