The woman formerly in charge of the organisation that judges the quality of schools has been given the job of driving forward the improvement of education across Haringey.

Christine Gilbert has been appointed as the first ever 'schools champion' by the leader of Haringey Borough Council, Claire Kober.

The former head of Ofsted will help deliver improvements in school performance and pupil attainment across the borough.

Mrs Gilbert has been appointed to fulfill one of the recommendations of the Outstanding for All report published earlier this year by the independent Haringey Education Commission.

She said: “I am looking forward to being at the heart of developing a new and improved Outstanding for All culture that the entire borough can be proud of.”

Cllr Kober has also unveiled plans to fulfill the other 11 recommendations made in the report.

Proposals include starting a £250,000 Education Innovation Fund, working with headteachers and governors to improve support services and introducing a Pupil Passport scheme to support children when they move between schools.

The Seven Sisters ward representative said she is determined that all children in the borough have access to the highest quality of education.

She said: “I’m delighted to welcome Christine as our official schools champion and look forward to working with her to accelerate the pace of improvement, and deliver on the commission’s ambitious recommendations.

“Making education outstanding for all of Haringey’s children is a priority for the council, and Christine’s appointment marks another important step in our journey to transform school standards.

“Together with our schools, teachers and governors, I am determined that all children in Haringey will have access to the highest quality teaching and support to give them the very best opportunities in life.”

For more informatin about how the council plans to address all of the Outstanding for All recommendations visit www.outstandingforall.org.uk