More than three in four teachers and school staff expect the Ofsted review into sexual abuse in schools to have little to no effect, a Tes survey reveals.
Asked before the results were published today what impact they thought the watchdog’s review would have, more than half of the 2,309 respondents said they thought it would make “little difference” to the problem of rape culture in schools.
And one in five said said the review will make “no difference”.
School staff were asked: “The Department for Education in England has launched a review into sexual abuse in schools, which will see Ofsted investigating school safeguarding practices. What impact do you think this review will have on the problem?”
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The question was asked before the review was published on Wednesday.
Teachers in secondaries were the most pessimistic: 23 per cent said they thought the review would make no difference, compared to 15 per cent of primary staff and 17 per cent of staff in special schools.
Less than 1 per cent (0.35 per cent) said they thought the review would solve the issue but 10 per cent said it will make a “significant” difference.
Teachers and school staff commented that the review would end up with schools being blamed.
One respondent said: “The review will manage to blame schools for the wider culture the children are in.”
And another echoed: “Ofsted will likely seek to blame schools. With everything else we have to do on a day-to-day basis, is changing the mentality of children who come from dysfunctional homes really down to the 9-3pm contact with kids we have? I think not.
“Again. Stop blaming schools. Everyone needs to take responsibility. Including the children.”
And while another respondent said it is good that schools with poor safeguarding practices will be “picked up” by the review, another made the point that a review alone will not achieve much.
They said: “Schools already do a lot and, without extra staff and funding, I do not see how the issues will be improved simply by “investigating safeguarding practices”.
“Schools need to be given funding to employ specific members of staff with particular training and sensitivities in dealing with these issues - people who are good at, and are given the time, to build up relationships with pupils that teachers often simply do not have the time for.”
Ofsted declined to comment.