The best head teachers in the UK are often "odd people".

That is the view of Sir Michael Wilshaw, the head of Ofsted, who said that an ability to think outside the box will stand aspiring head teachers in good stead.

Sir Michael knows what it takes to be a successful head teacher, of course, having led Mossbourne Community Academy in Hackney, London, for a number of years.

Speaking at the Future Leaders conference, Sir Michael advised head teachers not to be conformist, adding: "Strange is sometimes good. The best heads are often quite odd people.

"Orthodoxy doesn’t always produce results. Be prepared to question and think outside the box."

Sir Michael recently spoke of his desire to reform school inspections in a bid to boost overall standards.

Indeed, he confirmed plans to introduce no-notice inspections and also reform the way teachers are paid to ensure that fewer of them "coast" through the school day.

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