Chris Woodhead was born on 20 October 1946 in Cockfosters, London, England, UK. He was married to Christine Kensett and Cathy. He died on 23 June 2015 in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, Wales, UK.
He was awarded Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to education. He is the Head of the Schools Inspection Service, Ofsted.