READING Borough Council has sent an open letter to the government calling for “compassion” from school inspectors and says there must be changes following the death of Caversham headteacher Ruth Perry.
The council has published the letter to Amanda Spielman, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Ofsted, in which it describes “serious questions” which must be asked of the educational standards organisation and a resulting “lack of confidence.”
It follows the death of Ruth Perry, whose family said that she took her own life after being informed by inspectors that Caversham Primary School would drop from an “Outstanding” to “Inadequate” rating back in January.
It also comes just a day after Newbury headteacher Flora Cooper went back on a decision to deny access to inspectors in solidarity with educators who are questioning Ofsted’s practices.
The letter, signed by council leader Jason Brock and lead councillor for education and public health Ruth McEwan, said that the publication of Caversham Primary School’s report had fostered concerns about the nature of inspection nationally.
It criticised the inspection “regime,” arguing that parents and teachers were not comprehensively engaged with by the organisation and that Ofsted had to be “conscious of its role in that dynamic.”
This has led, it explains, to “a lack of confidence in the way in which the inspection process is conducted,” and that “such concern is not isolated to Reading and is, evidently, felt across the country.”
While the council laid out in the letter that it did not “presuppose to have the answers to the deficiencies,” but said that inspections must focus “less on summary judgment,” and have a “commitment to supporting continuous development.”
It drew particular focus on Ofsted’s response to the events following Ms Perry’s death, saying that “the eventual report was not responsive to the tragedy.
“On this fact alone, it is evident that far greater compassion is required in the conduct of Ofsted’s processes.”
The letter concluded by calling for a pause in inspections or a suspension of inspection judgments while a review is undertaken.
Reading Borough Council is the latest to call inspections into question following concerns from Reading East MP Matt Rodda.
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The full letter reads as follows:
From: Cllr Jason Brock, leader of the council, and Cllr Ruth McEwan, lead councillor for education and public health
To: MS Amanda Spielman
Dated Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
Dear Ms Spielman
As you will know, Ruth Perry took her life on 8th January 2023. She was the Headteacher of Caversham Primary School in Reading, and her death followed an Ofsted inspection of the school.
We continue to keep her family and friends in our thoughts, both individually and as a
town.
Since the publication of Caversham Primary’s Ofsted inspection report, serious questions raised nationally about the nature of the inspection regime and its consequences for schools and their communities – children, teachers, and parents – have not been comprehensively engaged with by Ofsted.
It is clear that there exists a lack of confidence in the way in which the inspection process is conducted.
Such concern is not isolated to Reading and is, evidently, felt across the country.
Schools and their broader communities have very close relationships and Ofsted needs to be conscious of its role in that dynamic, helping to strengthen further the mutual desire to see that the interests of children are always served.
We, as a society, should not require a singular tragedy to give us pause, but we certainly should not ignore the need for reflection highlighted by a tragedy.
It is vital that Ofsted take the time to engage with the questions now being asked of it.
These questions are not the preserve of the teaching profession, they are the questions posed within communities more broadly.
In writing to you, we do not presuppose to have the answers to the deficiencies that have been identified.
It is clear, though, that the inspection process must have greater attention to supporting schools in a continuous and long-term way.
There must be less focus on summary judgment and a clearer commitment to supporting continuous development.
In the particular case of Caversham Primary School, the eventual report was not responsive to the tragedy that
followed the inspection.
On this fact alone, it is evident that far greater compassion is required in the conduct of Ofsted’s processes.
It is also the case that other bodies, including local authorities and schools themselves, will be in
a period of reflection.
We all have a moral obligation to consider how things might and must change and what that means in terms of both our immediate and enduring response.
It should be incumbent on Ofsted to also meaningfully participate in that.
A pause in your inspections, or a suspension of inspection judgments, while a review is undertaken would be appropriate.
