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| Ofsted school inspections to change after Ruth Perry's family campaign | Ofsted school inspections to change after Ruth Perry's family campaign |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| Head teacher Ruth Perry took her own life in January | Head teacher Ruth Perry took her own life in January |
| School inspections in England are to change after the suicide of head teacher Ruth Perry led to calls for reform. | School inspections in England are to change after the suicide of head teacher Ruth Perry led to calls for reform. |
| Ofsted will revisit schools graded inadequate over child welfare within three months, and there will be an overhaul of its complaints system. | Ofsted will revisit schools graded inadequate over child welfare within three months, and there will be an overhaul of its complaints system. |
| Prof Julia Waters, Mrs Perry's sister, said the move was a start but that far bigger changes were needed. | Prof Julia Waters, Mrs Perry's sister, said the move was a start but that far bigger changes were needed. |
| A head teachers' union said the system was still fundamentally flawed. | A head teachers' union said the system was still fundamentally flawed. |
| Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman defended the one-word ratings system that Ofsted uses, telling BBC Breakfast the "whole school accountability system" was built around it. She said it was "down to government" to make any changes to the way ratings work. | |
| Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said the changes announced on Monday were "a really important step" and that Ofsted was right to continue to "evolve" to raise school standards. | |
| A school and its leadership are automatically graded as inadequate where inspectors raise concerns about how children are kept safe. Now Ofsted says inspectors will revisit these schools within three months, and the school can be regraded if it has addressed concerns. | |
| From September, schools will also be given more detail of what exactly is expected in measures to keep children safe, which include keeping good records and training staff to deal with concerns | |
| Schools are not allowed to see how inspectors have reached their conclusions, making it hard to overturn judgements through Ofsted's own complaints process. Ofsted is now asking for views on a revised system, in which complaints could be escalated to an independent adjudicator at an earlier stage where schools are unhappy. | |
| Ofsted said it was listening to concerns "without losing our clear focus on the needs of children and their parents". | Ofsted said it was listening to concerns "without losing our clear focus on the needs of children and their parents". |
| Investigate all work-related suicides, say experts | Investigate all work-related suicides, say experts |
| Ofsted admit school's report unreliable, says head | Ofsted admit school's report unreliable, says head |
| The dam has burst on Ofsted strength of feeling | The dam has burst on Ofsted strength of feeling |
| Mrs Perry took her own life while waiting for an Ofsted report to be published, which would rate her Caversham Primary School in Reading as inadequate. | Mrs Perry took her own life while waiting for an Ofsted report to be published, which would rate her Caversham Primary School in Reading as inadequate. |
| An inquest later this year will fully consider the circumstances, but her family says the inspection process caused her significant distress. | An inquest later this year will fully consider the circumstances, but her family says the inspection process caused her significant distress. |
| Prof Waters told the BBC the changes were a "step in the right direction" to ensure other head teachers were not put under the "intolerable pressure" her sister had faced. | Prof Waters told the BBC the changes were a "step in the right direction" to ensure other head teachers were not put under the "intolerable pressure" her sister had faced. |
| She said changes to the complaints system were essential for Ofsted to regain the trust of teachers and parents. | She said changes to the complaints system were essential for Ofsted to regain the trust of teachers and parents. |
| Ms Spielman explained that one of those changes announced by Ofsted was "changing the language of reports so that we don't sound over-focused on the head and senior leaders". | |
| She told BBC Breakfast: "We're doing some informational things to help heads really understand and not build up concerns. | |
| "We are reinforcing that heads absolutely can talk to colleagues, governors, other people around them about inspection outcomes - it's not something they have to keep as a personal secret." | |
| Parents 'just get ignored' | Parents 'just get ignored' |
| Prof Waters said one of the "most hurtful of many hurtful things" in her sister's case was knowing the inadequate grade given to Caversham Primary could stay with the school for some time, even if changes were made immediately. | Prof Waters said one of the "most hurtful of many hurtful things" in her sister's case was knowing the inadequate grade given to Caversham Primary could stay with the school for some time, even if changes were made immediately. |
| She said her sister did not feel she was given a chance to address the issues raised by inspectors about staff training and record-keeping. | She said her sister did not feel she was given a chance to address the issues raised by inspectors about staff training and record-keeping. |
| But Prof Waters said her most important concerns had still not been addressed, including failing schools over one element and summing that up in a one-word judgement. | But Prof Waters said her most important concerns had still not been addressed, including failing schools over one element and summing that up in a one-word judgement. |
| "It was the thing that preyed on Ruth's mind for those 54 days, that one-word judgement summing up 32 years of dedication to the education profession," she said. | "It was the thing that preyed on Ruth's mind for those 54 days, that one-word judgement summing up 32 years of dedication to the education profession," she said. |
| Schools and parents across the nation have been speaking out about Ofsted inspections, with a primary school in Cambridge getting the judgement withdrawn after a legal challenge. | Schools and parents across the nation have been speaking out about Ofsted inspections, with a primary school in Cambridge getting the judgement withdrawn after a legal challenge. |
| In Sheffield, thousands of parents signed a petition after King Edward VII secondary school was told it had to become an academy when Ofsted inspectors rated it inadequate over keeping children safe. | In Sheffield, thousands of parents signed a petition after King Edward VII secondary school was told it had to become an academy when Ofsted inspectors rated it inadequate over keeping children safe. |
| Parent Emma Wilkinson said the process had changed her view of Ofsted. | Parent Emma Wilkinson said the process had changed her view of Ofsted. |
| "We had parents who were complaining to Ofsted when the report came out, who were told you don't even get to complain, because as a parent you don't matter in this process," she said. | "We had parents who were complaining to Ofsted when the report came out, who were told you don't even get to complain, because as a parent you don't matter in this process," she said. |
| "We've been crying out to be heard... and you just get ignored." | "We've been crying out to be heard... and you just get ignored." |
| Emma Wilkinson is part of a parent campaign to stop King Edward VII from becoming an academy as a result of its Ofsted rating | Emma Wilkinson is part of a parent campaign to stop King Edward VII from becoming an academy as a result of its Ofsted rating |
| Another one of the parent campaigners, Prof Mark Boylan, said that if a forthcoming reinspection allowed the academy plan to be reversed, the damage had still been done. | Another one of the parent campaigners, Prof Mark Boylan, said that if a forthcoming reinspection allowed the academy plan to be reversed, the damage had still been done. |
| "Even if that happens, the school has had a year of stress and anxiety," he said. | "Even if that happens, the school has had a year of stress and anxiety," he said. |
| He added that the one-word system feels like a judgement on everyone in the school community - not just the staff. | He added that the one-word system feels like a judgement on everyone in the school community - not just the staff. |
| "In a way, they're saying you shouldn't have sent your child to the school... you made a bad choice as a parent." | "In a way, they're saying you shouldn't have sent your child to the school... you made a bad choice as a parent." |
| Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said Ofsted's changes were "sensible and somewhat helpful", but "go nowhere near far enough in addressing the profession's concerns". | Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said Ofsted's changes were "sensible and somewhat helpful", but "go nowhere near far enough in addressing the profession's concerns". |
| "It has taken far too long for the government and Ofsted to announce this relatively modest set of measures, and school leaders remain immensely frustrated at the lack of urgency and ambition being shown," he said. | "It has taken far too long for the government and Ofsted to announce this relatively modest set of measures, and school leaders remain immensely frustrated at the lack of urgency and ambition being shown," he said. |
| The NAHT will continue to campaign for "more fundamental reform" of the inspection process, such as a change to the "simplistic single-word judgements" the Ofsted system uses. | The NAHT will continue to campaign for "more fundamental reform" of the inspection process, such as a change to the "simplistic single-word judgements" the Ofsted system uses. |
| But Ms Spielman said that the system protected children at risk of safeguarding issues. | |
| She added: "We've got to stay focused on children and the things that are right for them." | |
| If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line. | If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Ofsted | Ofsted |