School leaders respond to statement from Ofsted Chief Inspector on Ruth Perry tragedy

A statement from Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman.

Ruth Perry’s death was a tragedy. Our thoughts remain with Ruth’s family, friends and the school community at Caversham Primary. I am deeply sorry for their loss.

Ahead of the coroner’s inquest, it would not be right to say too much. But I will say that the news of Ruth’s death was met with great sadness at Ofsted. We know that inspections can be challenging and we always aim to carry them out with sensitivity as well as professionalism. Our school inspectors are all former or serving school leaders. They understand the vital work headteachers do, and the pressures they are under. For so many colleagues, this was profoundly upsetting news to hear.

This is unquestionably a difficult time to be a headteacher. School leaders worked hard during the pandemic to keep schools open and give the best education they could, while keeping vulnerable children safe. Since then, some children and families have struggled to readjust to normal life, and schools have had to respond with care and determination. School absence is high, mental health problems have increased, and external support services are unable to meet increased demand.

The sad news about Ruth has led to an understandable outpouring of grief and anger from many people in education. There have been suggestions about refusing to co-operate with inspections, and union calls to halt them entirely.

I don’t believe that stopping or preventing inspections would be in children’s best interests. Our aim is to raise standards, so that all children get a great education. It is an aim we share with every teacher in every school.

Inspection plays an important part. Among other things, it looks at what children are being taught, assesses how well behaviour is being taught and managed, and checks that teachers know what to do if children are being abused or harmed. We help parents understand how their child’s school is doing and we help schools understand their strengths and areas for improvement. It’s important for that work to continue.

The broader debate about reforming inspections to remove grades is a legitimate one, but it shouldn’t lose sight of how grades are currently used. They give parents a simple and accessible summary of a school’s strengths and weaknesses. They are also now used to guide government decisions about when to intervene in struggling schools. Any changes to the current system would have to meet the needs both of parents and of government.

The right and proper outcome of Ofsted’s work is a better education system for our children. To that end, we aim to do good as we go – and to make inspections as collaborative and constructive as we can. We will keep our focus on how inspections feel for school staff and on how we can further improve the way we work with schools. I am always pleased when we hear from schools that their inspection ‘felt done with, not done to’. That is the kind of feedback I want to hear in every case.

As teachers, school leaders and inspectors, we all work together in the best interests of children – and I’m sure that principle will frame all discussions about the future of inspection.

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Sector Response

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“Ofsted has completely underestimated the strength of feeling amongst educational professionals. The warm words and sympathy they have expressed are welcome, but they are simply not enough.

“School leaders want to see tangible actions being taken to reduce the intolerable pressure that the current inspection regime places on everyone in schools, and they want to see those actions now.

“We are not against inspection per se, we simply believe that a fairer, more humane approach is possible. We also believe parents would support a new approach.

“The decision not to pause inspections, even for a short period, was a terrible mistake. It only serves to reinforce the view that Ofsted is tin-eared and shows scant regard for the wellbeing of school leaders.

“We believe this should be a watershed moment and Ofsted should look at this the same way too. Now is the time to work together for a completely new approach to school inspection. Carrying on as normal is not an acceptable answer.”

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“We have not asked Ofsted to halt inspections entirely, but merely to pause them to allow time to review their impact on the wellbeing of school and college leaders and teachers. The death of Ruth Perry is an extreme example of the damage done by the high-stakes nature of the inspection system, but the truth is that it often has a catastrophic effect on individuals.

“A short pause to inspections to consider this matter seems a very moderate request, and would help Ofsted show the profession that it is listening. The Chief Inspector acknowledges that reforming inspections to remove blunt and reductive one-word of two-word judgements is a legitimate debate, but there are no plans by Ofsted or the government to even consider this question as far as we know.

“There must surely be some reflection following this tragedy.”