OFSTED’S chief inspector has been criticised following an interview with the BBC on Sunday.
Amanda Spielman spoke with Laura Kuenssberg to address the increasing scrutiny as calls for reform at the standards organisation continue to grow in the wake of the death of Caversham Primary School head teacher, Ruth Perry.
A letter has also emerged which reports that Spielman herself had visited the school as part of an ‘informal’ inspection in 2019.
Ms Spielman said in her first interview since Ms Perry’s death that it was “clearly a very tragic event” and expressed “the most profound sympathy with her family, and for all of the Caversham school community.”
She continued: “Of course there’s going to be a coroner’s inquest… and we will be fully co-operating with that.”
Speaking on whether she thought that the conclusion of the inspection back in January which rated Caversham Primary School as “inadequate” was the right one, she said: “I do.
“I think the inspection team worked with the professionalism and the sensitivity that I would expect from our inspectors.
She continued: “From what I’ve seen, I don’t have any reason to doubt the inspection.
“We’re not the regulator– we don’t make decisions about what happens with school, we are just the inspectorate.”
She also cited a more wide-spread downgrading of schools following the resumption of regular inspections of schools rated “outstanding” in 2021.
While it was previously reported that the school had not been subject to an inspection since 2013, a letter from Ms Perry dated June 6, 2019, has emerged showing that an informal inspection took place during that week.
The letter reports that the ‘pilot’ inspection saw the school welcome the chief inspector herself ahead of the launch of a new framework.
It read: “We were very privileged to welcome Amanda Spielman, the Chief Inspector of Schools, on Thursday as part of that process.
“Whilst there is no official report we are delighted to have the very many strengths of our Outstanding school validated by the inspection team.”
Ms Spielman’s response has subsequently been criticised by Julia Waters, Ms Perry’s sister, in a statement to the BBC.
Ms Waters said that the chief inspector’s comments on Sunday were a “glaring contrast” to a previous, informal inspection of the school, reportedly attended by Ms Spielman herself.
Mary Bousted, general secretary for the National Education Union, said on Sunday that Ofsted is: “Not working at all.
“It’s been a problem that’s been growing for decades, and the problem is that Ofsted does not inspect schools fairly.
“[It] does not inspect schools fairly and doesn’t know whether it raises quality in schools at all– it has no research to back up the claims it makes about getting schools to be better.”
She also explained that inspections were inconsistent as well as unexpected: “[Teachers and leaders] have got no idea which inspection team will turn up.
“One which will do a decent inspection, or one which will be aggressive and demeaning.”
Ms Spielman also addressed reform calls on Friday. April 21, in an official statement on how Ofsted would proceed .
It said that the Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, has “been clear that Ofsted inspection is a vital part of the school system.”
Though she has agreed to meet with Reading East MP Matt Rodda, Ms Keegan is also cited as saying that the current assessments provide “important assurance to parents, the wider community, and to government that pupils are receiving a high-quality education and are being kept safe.”
While the statement does concede that Ofsted is “always looking for room to improve,” it said that single-word rating “plays an integral part in the wider school system.
“We also know that many parents find the grading system useful, whether that’s in choosing a school or to understand the one their child attends. So any new approach would need to meet the needs of the whole system.”
Ms Waters said that both the education secretary and the chief inspector were both “defending the indefensible.
“My sister’s death demonstrates the tragically high stakes, and yet Ofsted has so far done nothing.
“This latest response from the chief inspector for schools is yet again totally insensitive to the situation and deaf to the urgency of the calls for change.”
Ms Spielman’s full statement is available via: gov.uk
