Headteachers’ leaders have welcomed Ofsted plans to improve inspections but warned “a great deal” more change will be needed to restore the confidence of the profession in the inspectorate.
Chief inspector Amanda Spielman has set out plans today in an attempt to address concerns over Ofsted’s judgements on safeguarding and how it handles complaints.
In a statement she also sought to reassure the sector that Ofsted had been listening to their concerns since the news of the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.
The statement issued today follows a meeting with education secretary Gillian Keegan.
Ms Keegan said Ofsted would now ”intensify its work to reassure leaders and teachers, including making sure they feel safeguarding is considered proportionally in overall school judgements”.
Ms Spielman said Ofsted was looking at how its inspectors could return quickly to reinspect schools where there were safeguarding concerns but which were otherwise performing well.
This is in response to concerns that a limiting judgement is leading to schools being rated as “inadequate” on safeguarding despite being good in other areas.
She said: “We do recognise that some gaps in schools’ knowledge or practice are easier to put right than others. We are looking at how we can return more quickly to schools who have work to do on safeguarding but are otherwise performing well. That should enable us to see fast improvements and reflect them in our judgements.”
Ofsted looks at changing complaints process
Ofsted’s chief inspector also said that the watchdog was currently piloting changes to its complaints process.
Ms Spielman said she hoped the new approach “will make it more responsive - so that issues can be addressed during the inspection rather than considered afterwards, which creates delay and frustration”.
“I also want to ensure that when a complaint is made about our work, people feel that they have had a fair and thorough hearing,” she said.
Ms Spielman added that Ofsted recognises that there is uncertainty about who can sit in on meetings between inspectors and school staff to provide support.
She said: “We want all heads and teachers to know they can have a colleague from the school or trust join discussions with inspectors if they wish.
“Also, while we strongly recommend provisional inspection outcomes aren’t shared with parents before the report is finalised, headteachers and responsible bodies can share that information with others in confidence.”
Ofsted has faced criticism and calls for inspections to be halted following the death of Ms Perry.
Ms Perry’s family said she took her own life after an Ofsted inspection. In the subsequent report her school was downgraded from “outstanding” to “inadequate”.
Commenting on the events of the past month, Ms Spielman said: ”I also want to be honest about some of the more far-reaching suggestions that have been put forward.
”Four weeks ago I described the debate around grading as a legitimate one. I certainly recognise that distilling all that a school is and does into a single word makes some in the sector uncomfortable, particularly when there are consequences of the grade awarded.
“But as I’ve said previously, the overall grade currently plays an integral part in the wider school system. Ofsted inspects, showcases good practice and, where necessary, diagnoses if there are significant issues at a school. That’s where the role we have been given stops.”
Ms Spielman added that she wanted as much attention to be paid to a full inspection report and the four sub-judgements as the overall judgement.
She also paid tribute to teachers for the “invaluable” work that they do
“Inspection doesn’t exist to do teachers down. Far from it. It exists to help children get the education they deserve and to celebrate great practice, of which there is plenty,” she said.
Heads welcome sign that Ofsted is listening
Headteachers’ leaders have welcomed the tone of Ms Spielman’s announcement but called for more fundamental change to inspection.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “It is important that Ofsted shows it is listening in the wake of the tragic death of headteacher Ruth Perry, and we welcome this olive branch from the chief inspector, and some tentative moves to improve the inspection of safeguarding, Ofsted’s complaints process and to clarify the support on which school leaders can draw during inspections.
“However, the reality is that Ofsted has completely lost the trust of leaders and teachers, and it will take a great deal more than this to gain their confidence and ensure that the inspection system works in a way that is effective rather than being punitive and counterproductive.
“We recognise that this is not just a matter for the chief inspector but for the education secretary, too, as meaningful reform involves some significant changes. Despite the chief inspector’s insistence that the grading system plays an integral part in the school system, the truth is that it is the grading system that is the single biggest problem.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said: “It would appear that Ofsted is now beginning to respond to some of the issues that we have been raising following recent tragic events. It should never have taken something like this to bring about such a response, but the change in tone is helpful.
“A more proportionate approach to safeguarding issues and greater clarity that school leaders can share provisional outcomes are helpful developments. However, on their own, these will not go far enough to address either the concerns school leaders have or the strength of feeling amongst the profession.
“What we need to see is a firm commitment to work with us to agree a set of meaningful actions that will relieve some of the pressures that inspection currently places on school leaders...In the longer-term we want to see a more fundamental review of how inspection works. It is becoming very clear that overarching judgements have had their day and a fundamentally different approach is required.”
Response from Ofsted ‘totally inadequate’
In a statement issued on behalf of Ruth Perry’s family, her sister, Professor Julia Waters, dismissed the response to their call for a pause of inspections and a change to the school accountability system from both Ms Keegan and Ms Spielman as “totally insensitive” and “totally inadequate”.
“It is not acceptable to continue to defend the indefensible in this way,” she said.
“If Ofsted will not do it, we ask education secretary Gillian Keegan immediately to order a pause in all upcoming Ofsted inspections. We ask her to commission a review into what went wrong with the Ofsted inspection at Caversham Primary School and to learn the lessons. And we ask for a thorough, independent review of the Ofsted framework, structures and culture, to ensure that the wellbeing of the staff in schools, as well as of children, is considered more carefully.
“Children should always be the priority, as they were for Ruth. But children are made more vulnerable to harm, not less, when teachers are worried more about the threats of Ofsted than about what’s genuinely best for their pupils,” she added.
In a statement issued today by the Department for Education, Ms Keegan said: “Nothing is more important than keeping children safe. I am clear that we will not water down crucial safeguarding standards that underpin Ofsted’s role.
“I have always said I will listen to the views of teachers. Following a positive meeting with His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Ofsted will intensify its work to reassure leaders and teachers, including making sure they feel safeguarding is considered proportionally in overall school judgements.
“Parents rightly want to know how their child’s school is doing and I fully support our approach to providing a clear one-word rating to inform their decisions.”
