Ofsted is to urge schools to “pause” inspections that appear to be damaging the mental health of their staff, as part of its formal response to the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.
The schools inspectorate for England is also pledging to hold a public consultation with families and teachers where “nothing is off the table”, and will consider overhauling how it inspects and grades safeguarding.
But Perry’s family and school leaders said they were disappointed that neither the Department for Education’s nor Ofsted’s responses addressed the use of single-phrase judgments such as “inadequate” to grade schools, which they said was an impediment to real reform.
The plans by chief inspector Martyn Oliver form Ofsted’s response to a coroner’s findings into Perry’s death last year, after an Ofsted inspection was ruled to have contributed to the Reading headteacher’s suicide.
“As the new chief inspector, I am determined to do everything in my power to prevent such tragedies in the futures,” said Oliver, who took over as head of Ofsted in the new year.
He added: “We must carry out our role in a way that is sensitive to the pressures faced by leaders and staff, without losing our focus on children and learners.”
Perry’s sister, Prof Julia Waters, said: “Ofsted’s new direction is encouraging. Had these reforms been in place just over a year ago, perhaps my beautiful sister Ruth might still be with us today.”
Perry’s school, Caversham primary school, was downgraded from outstanding to inadequate over safeguarding issues during an Ofsted inspection that provoked a fatal deterioration in Perry’s mental health.
At the inquest, the coroner criticised Ofsted for failing to have policies on how or when to suspend an inspection in the event of obvious distress among a school’s staff.
Ofsted said: “Every inspector and every school leader must have clarity about when and how to pause inspections. We also want to give leaders confidence that a request for a pause will not affect adversely the judgments made about a school.”
The inspectorate is to work with school governors, local authorities and trusts to make clear how school leaders’ welfare can be protected, as well as detailing how schools can raise concerns about inspectors’ behaviour.
Other proposals include a wide-ranging “big listen” consultation process with those involved in Ofsted inspections, including children and parents.
Both the National Association of Head Teachers and the Association of School and College Leaders said Ofsted’s proposals were positive steps but did not fully address their concerns.
“This must be the beginning of a process for Ofsted and the government to improve the way in which schools and colleges are inspected – one that makes the system fairer, less punitive and more supportive,” said Geoff Barton, ASCL’s general secretary.
But Barton warned it would “take time and energy to win the confidence of a sector that feels battered and bruised by an excessively harsh inspection system”.
The DfE also sent its response to the coroner, with education secretary Gillian Keegan stating: “Ruth Perry’s death was a tragedy and the coroner’s findings made clear that lessons need to be learned. That’s why I have worked closely with Ruth Perry’s sister, former colleagues and friends over the past year, to listen and make important changes to inspections with Ofsted to secure a legacy for Ruth.”
But Waters said: “I am disappointed that the government has opted to keep misleading and harmful single-word judgments. Whether these brand a school as ‘outstanding’ or ‘inadequate’, or the grades in between, these blunt verdicts obscure many of the important details.
“As the coroner noted, Ruth was devastated by the impact of such language.
“Parents, teachers, governors and others should be encouraged to engage with the details of inspection findings, and not just fixate on one or two words. Simplicity may be convenient for government bureaucrats, but it acts against the true interests of children, parents and teachers.”
