Commenting on Ofsted’s response to a Prevention of Future Deaths report issued last month, which followed an inquest at which it was found that a school inspection was a contributing factor to the tragic death of head teacher Ruth Perry, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“The measures proposed by Ofsted in response to the senior coroner’s report do not match the scale of the problem that it inflicts on schools.
“While promising that ‘nothing is off the table’ in the ‘big listen’ it’s going to organise, in fact Ofsted is clinging on to its delusions.
“Ofsted claims that its work helps make sure that ‘children have the highest quality of education and care’. This is the reverse of the truth and as long as Ofsted believes it, the most important things will not change.
“Ofsted inspections have inconsistent results. They penalise schools with disadvantaged pupil intakes. They do not contribute to school improvement. On the contrary, pressure from Ofsted leads schools towards a narrow focus on test and exam results. Interrogation and confrontation are built into the system.
“Our latest survey of members, conducted last weekend, found that safeguarding of both students and staff was inadequate during Ofsted inspections. We heard cases of staff and students being reduced to tears, of inspectors casually disclosing personal information about pupils in front of their class. Inspectors casting verdicts on areas in which they have no expertise. Inconsistent judgements, and behaviour that provokes in some of those subjected to an inspection panic attacks and complications with pregnancies.
“Just 3% of respondents to our survey felt that the recent two-week pause for mental health training for inspectors was adequate.
“We need much more than impression management and damage control. The time for change that addresses fundamental issues has come.”
Editor’s Note
NEU members poll, “Ofsted safeguarding risk”, 18 January 2024