Headteacher Ruth Perry took her own life when her school was downgraded from Outstanding to Inadequate Photo Caroline Gratrix
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0fbg8vr/tested-to-the-limit – just how bad was it?
BBC News Branwen Jeffreys Tuesday 13th June
Ofsted changes after Ruth Perry’s family campaign ‘nowhere near’ enough: https://tinyurl.com/2aysf652
Ofsted needs to treat schools with the respect we hope teachers treat children. If a child’s grades went from As to Es, wouldn’t someone look at how the child was being taught? So likewise, when a school goes from the top to the bottom rating, shouldn’t someone be curious as to why? And shouldn’t that reason be clearly explained under the rating? Ofsted should be helping schools to improve. Ofsted has announced that it will visit schools that get low ratings for safeguarding more often – why has it taken suicide to get lower rating schools more support? Why isn’t Ofsted visiting other schools underperforming for different reasons more often?
It’s the arrogance of the Minister and Ofsted’s responses to the BBC that makes me think that Ofsted will always concede to minimal change:
“From September, schools will also be given more detail of what exactly is expected in measures to keep children safe – such as good records and staff training” Schools have been rated inadequate because Ofsted hasn’t told them what is expected!
“Ofsted’s complaints system will be overhauled so that complaints could be escalated to an independent adjudicator at an earlier stage where schools are unhappy with an inspection” This hasn’t been done already – when Ofsted has existed for 30 years.
… and most mindblowing, “At the moment, schools are not allowed to see how inspectors have reached their conclusions, making it hard to overturn judgments.” How can that have ever been considered fair?
The school should be able to give their Ofsted inspection a rating. Ruth Perry described the day she got the rating as the worst day of her life. After a 32-year exemplary career – she deserved better than Ofsted.
#RuthPerry #Ofsted
