Ofsted says one-word ratings to stay after headteacher's death

Schools watchdog Ofsted has been accused of failing to make “meaningful” inspection reforms following the death of a headteacher – as it refused to drop one-word ratings despite calls for the assessments to be scrapped.

Headteacher Ruth Perry took her own life in January while awaiting for an Ofsted report that downgraded her school, Caversham Primary in Reading, Berkshire, from outstanding to inadequate due to “safeguarding” issues.

Amanda Spielman, Ofsted’s chief inspector, proposed reforms in the wake of Ms Perry’s death, but said one-word gradings will stay.

She said the ratings, which label schools from “outstanding” to “inadequate” after two-day inspections are “integral” to the school system.

However, Ms Perry’s sister said Ofsted had done “nothing” to prevent future tragedies.

Professor Julia Waters also said she had heard “nothing” from Education Secretary Gillian Keegan after she committed on Monday to meeting with the family.

She called on the education secretary – who has said she fully supports one-word ratings – to “immediately pause” upcoming Ofsted inspections and to commission a review into what went wrong at her sister’s school.

Pressure is mounting on the schools watchdog in England after unions threatened legal action because it is continuing to carry out inspections without a full mental health assessment for teachers.

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Critics say the Ofsted grading system is too simplistic and fails to reflect the complexity of a school and its teaching quality.

Ms Spielman on Friday acknowledged the “strength of feeling” in the debate around Ofsted reform and said the inspectorate was “making changes”, but rejected more “far-reaching suggestions”.

She said: “Since the tragic news about Ruth Perry first broke, these conversations have intensified, and I want to bring some of that out into the open. We are making changes.

“I also want to be honest about some of the more far-reaching suggestions that have been put forward.

“I certainly recognise that distilling all that a school is and does into a single word makes some in the sector uncomfortable, particularly when there are consequences of the grade awarded.

“But as I’ve said previously, the overall grade currently 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.”

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Proposals include returning more promptly to schools such as Ms Perry’s which are deemed to have safeguarding issues but are performing well in other areas.

Prof Waters described Ms Spielman’s comments as “totally insensitive”.

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She said: “I have heard many assurances from the chief inspector for schools and the secretary of state for education that their thoughts are with Ruth’s family, but we have yet to be contacted by either.

“Not only that, but neither Ofsted nor the Department for Education has yet suggested anything like a meaningful response to the growing calls for reform.

“My sister’s death demonstrates the tragically high stakes, and yet Ofsted has so far done nothing.”

She added: “Children should always be the priority, as they were for Ruth. But children are made more vulnerable to harm, not less, when teachers are worried more about the threats of Ofsted than about what’s genuinely best for their pupils.”

The government said on Thursday that Ms Keegan would meet Ms Perry’s family and local headteachers to discuss her death.

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