Stopping inspections would not be in the best interests of children, the head of the schools watchdog in England has said after calls for them to be paused following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry. Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman acknowledged the debate about reforming inspections to remove grades “is a legitimate one” but insisted school checks should continue.
Three unions representing teachers and heads this week urged Ofsted to pause inspections and Reading Borough Council also called for a pause while a review was carried out into the system. Ms Perry, head at Caversham Primary School in Reading, killed herself in January while waiting for an Ofsted report which had downgraded her school to the lowest possible rating, according to her family.
In a statement, Ms Spielman described Ms Perry’s death as “a tragedy” and said she was “deeply sorry” for the loss suffered by her family, friends and the school community. She said the news had been “met with great sadness at Ofsted” and acknowledged that school inspections “can be challenging”. But she added that inspectors always aimed to carry them out with “sensitivity" and "professionalism”.
