Ofsted school inspection reforms ‘nowhere near enough’

Changes by Ofsted to the way it inspects schools have been criticised as “nowhere near enough” to reduce the resulting high levels of stress involved, which were linked to the recent death of a popular headteacher.

The reforms announced by Amanda Spielman, Ofsted’s chief inspector, are intended to ease the burden felt by school leaders such as Ruth Perry, 53, the head of a primary in Reading who killed herself earlier this year after an Ofsted inspection lowered her school’s grade from “outstanding” to “inadequate”.

Despite the national outcry over Perry’s death, Spielman and the Department for Education (DfE) have refused to budge on the most contentious issue: the labelling by Ofsted of schools in England with a single overall grade, such as “inadequate”.

Perry’s family and teaching leaders said Ofsted’s proposals fell well short of the overhaul needed to make school inspections fairer and less devastating for the school leaders involved.

Prof Julia Waters, Perry’s sister, said: “I am disappointed that no mention is made about removing harmful and misleading single-word judgments. I can understand the need to provide clarity and simplicity for parents about an inspection but too much is hidden or lost behind a headline judgment of just one or two words.”

Waters added: “Ruth was not the first headteacher or teacher to take her own life following an Ofsted inspection. I am determined that she should be the last.”

The biggest change announced by Spielman would allow schools rated inadequate solely because of errors in safeguarding procedures to be re-inspected by Ofsted within three months, giving school leaders an opportunity to quickly fix concerns.

Such a policy may have benefited Perry’s school, which would have been rated as “good” but for the procedural errors.

The changes would accelerate Ofsted’s complaints procedures, allowing schools to appeal to its independent ombudsman more quickly. Ofsted would also offer more support to school leaders during the inspection process, with heads able to externally consult a senior inspector for advice.

Schools will also be given a broad timeframe for their next inspection of between a term to a year, but will still only receive one day’s notice of the exact date.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said: “It has taken far too long for the government and Ofsted to announce this relatively modest set of measures, and school leaders remain immensely frustrated at the lack of urgency and ambition being shown.

“While the government insists on consigning schools to simplistic single-word judgments, the system will remain fundamentally flawed and put unnecessary pressure on school leaders.”

Spielman said: “Since the sad death of Ruth Perry, there has been considerable debate around Ofsted’s work and I want to reassure people that we are listening to their concerns, and thinking carefully about how we can revise aspects of our work without losing our clear focus on the needs of children and their parents.

“We have listened to many voices in this debate. I’m particularly grateful to union leaders, other sector representatives and the secretary of state for the constructive discussions we’ve had over the last couple of months, which have helped us with this package of measures.”

Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, endorsed the changes, saying: “I have committed to continuing our work on improving the way we inspect our schools with Ofsted and the family of Ruth Perry following her tragic death.”

Last week Keegan met with Perry’s family and friends, and discussed the changes being proposed.

Waters said she had been encouraged by the discussions with Keegan after the death of her sister but that much more still needed to be done.

“I welcome any changes that ease some of the burden on headteachers undergoing what can feel like inescapable, ritual humiliation. But these changes do not yet go far enough,” she said

“Parents, pupils and teachers deserve an inspection regime that they can trust and which supports schools to do the best for every child. ‘Trial by Ofsted’ must end.

“Having listened to the outpouring of anger, distress and outrage towards Ofsted’s current inspection regime in the past couple of months, since we first spoke out about what happened to Ruth, I do not believe these proposals adequately address the many problems that the system creates.”

Waters did praise Ofsted’s proposal allowing headteachers to share provisional inspection results with staff and governors before a final report was published, which she said “could certainly have helped to alleviate the terrible burden that Ruth was forced to bear alone” for 54 days, unable to discuss it with others.

Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, of which Perry was a member, said “more extensive and fundamental changes” were needed to limit Ofsted’s damage to teachers’ wellbeing.

“We need a reliable system, built on fairness and support, not surveillance and jumping through hoops,” Bousted said.

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