Ofsted is younger than me. And yet, for those of us who have been in education for a couple of decades, the inspection regime is part of the furniture. Its presence permeates school classrooms, offices, staffrooms and corridors. The idea of it not being around seems unimaginable – but now calls for its reform are becoming hard to ignore.
In the wake of the death of Ruth Perry, a headteacher who took her own life while waiting for the publication of a damaging Ofsted report, the floodgates have opened. Teachers across the country are speaking out about the impact of inconsistent processes, unpredictable inspectors and the strain of waiting weeks, months and years for an inspection to be announced.
