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:
https://neu.org.uk/latest/press-releases/ofsted-safeguarding-risk
