{{Short description|English schoolteacher}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} '''Dame Christine Gilbert McNulty''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DBE}} ({{nee}} McGinty) is an English schoolteacher who was the Head of Ofsted (HMCI) also known as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ofsted.gov.uk |title=Ofsted |publisher=Ofsted.gov.uk |accessdate=8 March 2016}}</ref> between October 2006 and 30 June 2011.
==Early life and education== Gilbert was born '''Christine McGinty''' into a Catholic working-class family and went to a convent school in London. She studied at the University of Reading where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree (BA) in English and History. She furthermore received a Master of Education degree (MEd) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).<ref>[https://www.ucl.ac.uk/governance-compliance/honorary-awards/list-honorary-fellows#g List of Honorary Fellows], UCL. Accessed 21 November 2022.</ref>
== Career == Gilbert trained as a history teacher. She said, "I couldn't get over the fact that there were children of 14 or 15 in front of me who couldn't read," so took an Open University reading diploma to learn what she should do. At the age of 32, she became head of Whitmore High School, and then promoted to Director of Education for the London Borough of Harrow.<ref name="Guard1"/>
She became Director of Education for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in 1997 where she led the transformation in performance and quality of local schools. The percentage of students gaining General Certificate of Secondary Education or equivalent at good grades (A*-C) was raised to 56% from 26% in under a decade.<ref name="Guard1"/> Later she became Chief Executive of Tower Hamlets.
===Ofsted=== Gilbert became HM Chief Inspector on 1 October 2006, replacing Maurice Smith. One of her key briefs was to oversee the expansion of Ofsted's remit from April 2007 to include the inspection of children's social services, adult learning and aspects of court administration, as this relates to children.{{citation needed|date=September 2025}}
Miriam Rosen, Gilbert's successor, wrote in The Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills 2010/11, "In concluding this commentary, I want to take the opportunity to say a brief and personal word about Christine Gilbert, who finished her term as HMCI during the year. Christine brought the new Ofsted together from its predecessor organisations in 2007. She brought extraordinary energy and personal drive to the service of children and learners. She passionately believed not only that everyone deserves the best from the services they use, but that every child can and should achieve and do well. That has been the vision which has animated Ofsted for many years, and it continues to do so today."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-annual-report-of-her-majestys-chief-inspector-of-education-childrens-services-and-skills-201011 |title= Ofsted Annual Report 2010/11|publisher=Ofsted|accessdate=25 May 2022}}</ref>
===Post Ofsted=== Since Gilbert left Ofsted, she is a visiting professor at the UCL Institute of Education.<ref>[https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/profile?upi=CGILB75 Ms Christine Gilbert] - website Institutional Research Information Service (IRIS) of UCL</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Gilbert|first=C|date=2021|title= Coming back stronger: leadership matters |work= UCL Institute of Education |url= https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-and-centres/centres/ucl-centre-educational-leadership/thinkpieces/coming-back-stronger-leadership-matters |access-date=25 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Gilbert|first=C|date=2017|title= Optimism of the will: the development of local area-based education partnerships |work= UCL Institute of Education|url= https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10065147/14/Gilbert%20IOE%20thinkpiece%20-%20Version%20September%202019.pdf |access-date=25 May 2022}}</ref> She undertook a number of reviews including chairing the Academies Commission which published Unleashing Greatness: Getting the best from an academised system (2013).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.educationengland.org.uk/documents/pdfs/2013-academies-commission.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160204000744/http://www.educationengland.org.uk/documents/pdfs/2013-academies-commission.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= 4 February 2016 |title= Unleashing Greatness: Getting the best from an academised system |publisher= Academies Commission |accessdate=25 May 2022}}</ref>
On Monday 5 November 2012, Gilbert took up a post as Acting Chief Executive of the Council in the London Borough of Brent, initially for a six-month appointment, succeeding Gareth Daniel who left at short notice earlier in the year, but stayed for three years.
Since 2016, she has been the Chair of Future First, a charity that champions the establishment of a thriving alumni in every school so that young people can benefit from motivational role models. Currently, she is also Chair of Camden Learning, a school-led locality partnership that drives excellence and equity.
=== Chair Ofsted === In June 2025, Dame Christine Gilbert returned to Ofsted, as she was appointed chair of Ofsted.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chantler-Hicks |first=Lydia |date=2025-06-11 |title=Christine Gilbert set to be appointed Ofsted chair |url=https://schoolsweek.co.uk/christine-gilbert-set-to-be-appointed-ofsted-chair/ |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=schoolsweek.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dame Christine Gilbert announced as chair of Ofsted |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dame-christine-gilbert-announced-as-chair-of-ofsted |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref>
== Education beliefs == When she went into education she initially taught the 'whole books' method and believed in it, but seeing the effects of the National Literacy Strategy, realised for those of school age the explicit teaching of phonics was important.<ref name="Guard1"/>
Gilbert is joint chair of the Area Education Partnerships Association (AEPA) and an advocate of local education partnerships.
==Personal life== Divorced from her first husband, she met then councillor and later government minister Tony McNulty when she was Director of Education for the London Borough of Harrow. The couple married in September 2002 in Hammersmith and Fulham. She has no children from either marriage.<ref name="Guard1">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2007/nov/27/schools.ofsted|title=Raising the bar|work=The Guardian|date=27 November 2007|accessdate=14 October 2009 | location=London | first=Peter | last=Wilby}}</ref>
Gilbert was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2006 New Year Honours for services to local government and to education,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57855|supp=y|page=7|date=31 December 2005}}</ref> and promoted to Dame Commander of the same Order (DBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to young people and charity.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63714|supp=y|page=B8|date=1 June 2022}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2006/20061460.htm Official declaration of her appointment in 2006]
{{s-start}} {{succession box | before=Maurice Smith | title=Chief Inspector at Ofsted | years=2006 - 2011 | after=Sir Michael Wilshaw }} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert, Christine}} Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:School inspectors Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Category:Alumni of the University of Reading Category:People from Edmonton, London Category:English people of Irish descent Category:English schoolteachers