Commenting on Ofsted's announcement today on changes to
inspection, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the
NASUWT - The Teachers' Union, said:
"It is clear that these changes are being brought forward in
response to the tragic death of Ruth Perry following the
inspection of Caversham Primary School. However, this tragedy has
prompted calls for a much wider debate about the future of
inspection that goes far beyond the matters addressed in the
proposals announced today.
"We will need to see whether the limited changes that Ofsted has
set out will address our longstanding concerns about the
inspection of safeguarding and the inadequacy of
Ofsted's complaints process.
"We have been calling for some time for reform to Ofsted’s
complaints system. It needs to secure the trust and confidence of
schools and the teaching profession and we will examine
Ofsted's proposals and whether they have the potential to satisfy
the expectations of teachers and headteachers.
"The high-stakes nature of inspection remains the elephant in the
room, and with it the crude grading system, which are yet to be
addressed.
“It remains important that the Government commits to a full and
independent investigation into all aspects of the school
accountability system and the extent to which inspection is
contributing to the unsustainable and damaging workload pressures
and stress reported by those working in schools.
“Inspection and accountability should be geared towards
supporting system improvement rather than punishing the dedicated
and committed professionals who work tirelessly, often without
the resources they need, to deliver the very best for pupils.
“The failure of too many employers to understand their duty of
care towards staff before, during and after an inspection must
also be tackled. A humane system of inspection would allow those
working in schools to be able to access the support and advice
they need when they need it at any time during the inspection
process.
"We will need to see more than piecemeal changes to restore
confidence and ensure that schools are held accountable for the
right things in the right ways.”
