The recent update to the Ofsted complaints procedure is positive and something that I welcome - particularly after my own experience of navigating the process last year, when we were successful in our complaint against the inspection process at a Liberty school.
I was on site for the inspection, observing first-hand an inspection team who, in my view, were not acting in the spirit of the handbook. As such, when the school was downgraded to “requires improvement” in autumn 2022, it felt important that we challenge this judgement.
That was the start of a long process but one that proved worthwhile when the school was reinspected and graded “good” in all areas in spring 2023.
While every complaint will be different, here are some key things we did to ensure that our process was as efficient as possible - and ultimately successful.
Making a complaint against an Ofsted judgement
1. Don’t be afraid
Fear, or managing the “wider interests”, should not and must not prevent the right action being taken. If you believe the inspection process has been flawed, when considering Ofsted’s education inspection framework and code of conduct, then you must complain.
As CEO, it was important for me to take the lead but to ensure that staff felt they were being represented and supported throughout.
More on Ofsted inspections:
2. Treat it like any other complaint
Once we decided to go along this path, I took the decision to treat it very much like a consumer complaint, detailing the issues and what a successful resolution would look like. This helped us to proceed with a sense of purpose, rather than it just feeling like I was “venting”.
We set out some clear requests for what we wanted, such as:
- The inspection evidence to be reviewed due to inconsistencies in inspectors’ judgements.
- Alternative inspectors to come in and reinspect, as soon as possible.
- An acknowledgement of the distress caused to staff, students and families.
- Assurance that further training is in place so that another provider does not experience something similar.
Requests will differ in each context, and given the individual circumstances of each complaint, but hopefully the above list will help you to pinpoint what is needed to resolve the issue.
3. Remove the emotion
One of the aims of the above requests was to try to remove the emotion from the situation.
Of course, none of us want to hear that our school is less than “good”, but as much as you want to have your feelings and upset acknowledged, they are slightly irrelevant.
What matters most is focusing on the facts of what the inspectors did wrong (in your opinion) and how this can be addressed (hence the clear calls for redress as outlined above).
Don’t make a judged assertion of this being “terrible behaviour” or “shocking” - it is not your place to say. Instead, you need to provide evidence substantial enough to allow for an officer to investigate. Stick to facts, not feelings.
4. But share what needs to be shared…
The exception to the above is if the actions of the inspectors have caused psychological distress to staff, students or families.
In our case, the inspector’s interactions did have an impact on our autistic students and therefore we included in our complaint descriptions of the visible changes we witnessed in their behaviour, which we backed up with feedback from parents.
However, this was presented as part of the “factual” impact of the inspection - not a secondary by-product of our frustration at being downgraded.
5. Be detailed
Your intention should be to achieve an accurate and justified outcome for your school, and this means being detailed in what you provide - but avoiding waffle or irrelevant information.
Even if you manage this, your complaint may still be long. Mine was 18 pages but this was what we deemed necessary to outline our concerns and how the situation could be fixed.
Again, all complaints will be dependent on circumstances but make sure that what you provide is concise and relevant.
6. Don’t give up
Over the course of the four to five months between inspections, I had to escalate the process at least two or three times, because the substance of my complaint and the resolution I had requested had not been addressed sufficiently.
In some ways, as with any other complaint system, the process is often elongated to separate out the serial complainers from the serious issues.
So if it’s serious enough for you to start the process then you must not give up. Do what is necessary to ensure that you receive closure on your complaint - even if it does not go your way.
7. Remain respectful
Everyone is trying to do their job in challenging circumstances.
As angry as you are, it is not the fault of the person handling the complaint. Stay calm and stay respectful.
8. A last point
Remember that your complaint must be about the process, not the grade - however much you disagree with that judgement.
Dr Nic Crossley is the CEO of Liberty Academy Trust. She tweets @Nic_Crossley1
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