As the watchdog announces changes to its operations, the sister of a head teacher who took her own life after an inspection argues that pausing Ofsted inspections would be the “humane, correct, and empathetic thing to do.”
While waiting for a report that downgraded her school, Ruth Perry passed away.
Her sister, Professor Julia Waters, desires a comprehensive review.
Ofsted will retain its one-word grading system, despite implementing modifications to its complaint management procedures.
Amanda Spielman, the chief inspector for England’s schools, stated that the country’s education monitor “will continue to listen” to improve.
Ofsted has expressed condolences to Ms. Perry’s family and described her passing as tragic.
The family believes Ms. Perry’s suicide was caused by anxiety and tension following the inspection.
“She was all right before the event, but not during and after it. Prof. Waters told that it is a potentially hazardous system.
She added that Ofsted had not explicitly responded to the concerns raised by the family.
“It increases the pain, the outrage, and our sense of injustice regarding what happened to Ruth,” she said.
Prof. Waters was inundated with inspection issues after Ms. Perry’s death. She stated, “It confirms our worst fears, that this has been going on for quite some time.”
She desires a halt to inspections to allow for an independent investigation into what transpired at Ms. Perry’s school in Reading, as well as a review of the ethos of inspections at Ofsted.
Ms. Spielman added, “We are not deaf to calls for change or insensitive to the needs of schools and their staff.”
This latest response, according to Prof. Waters, was “completely insensitive to the situation” and “nothing like a meaningful response to the growing calls for reform.”
Ofsted downgraded Caversham Primary School after inspectors determined that staff reviews and documentation of child concerns were inadequate.
Under the current system, this implies that the school’s administration and the school as a whole are deemed inadequate.
Inspectors lauded the school’s educational standards and student conduct.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the majority of institutions were inspected approximately every four years. Nonetheless, all visits were suspended due to the pandemic.
In addition, exceptional schools were exempt from inspections for the eight years leading up to 2020, meaning that some are now being inspected for the first time in a decade.
Some academy school administrators have asserted that Ofsted is not adequately contemplating the pandemic’s effects.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan stated that child safety standards would not be “watered down” and that she continued to support a “clear one-word rating” to assist parents in making informed decisions.
She informed members of Congress earlier this week that she was willing to meet Ms. Perry’s family.
What exactly is Ofsted?
Schools, nurseries, and childminders in England are inspected and reported on by Ofsted.
After Ruth Perry’s death, some school administrators and teaching unions urged a revision of exams and the one-word grading system.
Sir Jon Coles, the Chief Executive Officer of United Learning, which operates 72 state academy schools across England, and a former education civil servant who oversaw the improvement of London’s schools, stated on Radio 4’s Today program that Ofsted is a good thing and contributes to the public’s understanding of schools.
He stated that inspectors generate a four-page report after a comprehensive inspection. “The overall single-word grade and then the four single-word judgments are accompanied by quite a lot of detail and explanation.”
Julie McCulloch from the Association of School & College Leaders (ASCL) expressed concern that Ofsted is unwilling to examine single-word judgments, even though some Ofsted proposals are beneficial.
She acknowledges that there is a longer report, but “people tend to focus on the grade rather than the nuances behind it, and when we speak with our members, they tell us that the most stressful aspect of the inspection process is the reductionist approach that tends to capture most of what a school does in a single word or phrase.
The NEU, NAHT, and ASCL called for school inspections to halt in March.
The Ofsted chief inspector hunt has begun since Ms. Spielman will depart later this year.
Prof. Waters argues that change cannot wait until then: “Ofsted has an imperative problem that must be addressed immediately. What occurred with Ruth could occur again.”
Later this year, a complete investigation will be conducted into the circumstances surrounding Ruth Perry’s suicide.
