Delays to significant reforms at Ofsted will “put more lives at risk”, the sister of Ruth Perry will warn today.
Professor Julia Waters will tell the NEU teaching union’s annual conference that she is worried that those who can bring about change at the watchdog could be merely “paying lip service”. She will demand faster action from the government and the inspectorate.
Ofsted has come under greater scrutiny in the past year after headteacher Ms Perry took her own life in January 2023.
In December a coroner concluded that an Ofsted inspection of her school, Caversham Primary School in Reading, Berkshire, in November 2022 “likely contributed” to Ms Perry’s death.
Ofsted inspections ‘fatally flawed’
In a speech at the conference in Bournemouth, Professor Waters will say: “I am worried that the people who could bring about real change might only be paying lip service to the lessons we must learn.
“I hope we do learn, and learn quickly. The Ofsted system of inspections is fatally flawed. It doesn’t serve parents or pupils or teachers. It must change.”
Last month Sir Martyn Oliver, chief inspector of Ofsted, launched the watchdog’s Big Listen public consultation on the inspection system.
In his first major speech since becoming chief inspector in January, Sir Martyn said he wanted to “mark a new chapter” with the sector.
Professor Waters will say today: “Despite the promising start, there seems to be a lot of passing the buck going on between the government and Ofsted.
“There seems to be a lot of unnecessary delay. Sir Martyn now says we will have to wait until after the general election for any major changes.
“How many more teachers will suffer from an inherently flawed, badly run inspection process in the meantime?
“How many more children will lose another dedicated headteacher to a forced resignation, a nervous breakdown or worse?
“Delays and obfuscation put more lives at risk. It’s not acceptable to play politics with people’s wellbeing.”
Speaking to the press in Bournemouth today, Professor Waters said it was “disappointing” that the prospect of a general election leading to “nothing happening anywhere…. is being allowed to apply here where there’s a proven risk of future deaths and there are still things that need to be changed”.
She said she would have preferred Ofsted to address the recommendations made by the coroner who led the inquest into her sister’s death and those of the Commons Education Select Committee, rather than taking an approach of “deflect and delay by having a Big Listen”, which she can’t imagine will highlight anything that has not been said already.
Watchdog ‘won’t be abolished’
On Wednesday members of the NEU voted for their union to launch a “public facing” campaign calling for Ofsted to be abolished.
But Professor Waters will call on teachers to “teach Ofsted a lesson” by helping to improve school inspections.
She will ask teachers to “do what they do best” by approaching Ofsted reform “with kindness and hope”, rather than opposing school inspections altogether.
Addressing union members, she will say: “I know that the NEU has called again for Ofsted to be abolished. You might expect my family and me to be calling for the same thing
“But, frankly, what would be the point? Being angry and objecting to Ofsted’s existence is totally understandable.
“But teaching unions have been calling for the abolition of Ofsted for 30 years. And what good has that done teachers? Look at the evidence. How did calling for Ofsted to be abolished help Ruth?
“No one is going to abolish Ofsted any time soon, whether the education secretary is part of a Conservative or a Labour government.”
At the start of the year Ofsted inspections were paused in England to ensure that inspectors were given mental health awareness training.
The watchdog also published new guidance for schools on how to request that an Ofsted inspection be paused if staff show signs of distress.
Ofsted ‘ambitious to improve’
Sir Martyn said: “Our work keeps children safe and improves their lives. But we are ambitious to improve. That is why we are carrying out a Big Listen.
“We want to hear from everyone we work with, including teachers, social workers, nursery staff and college lecturers. Crucially, we also want to hear from the parents and children we work for.”
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, said the union and Professor Waters are “both campaigning for a much greater focus on leaders’ wellbeing and health....and for a fairer approach to capturing all the things that schools achieve and contribute”.
He added: “The NEU believes there simply isn’t a way to retain enough experienced teachers or to encourage enough middle leaders to step forward as heads unless Ofsted is replaced with a much fairer system of evaluation.
“Ofsted is a harmful presence in our schools and needs to be replaced with a collaborative system that truly reflects a rounded picture of the work of schools.
“Parents, students and teachers all deserve better.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Ruth’s death was a tragedy and our sympathies remain with her family, friends and school community.
“Ofsted is fundamental to making sure children are safe and receive the education they deserve.
“Their independent inspections are vital to holding schools to account for high standards and we have worked closely with Ruth’s family and Ofsted to make significant changes to ensure they continue to drive improvements in standards whilst protecting the wellbeing of school leaders.”
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