Ofsted inspections will resume on January 22 after they were paused so inspectors could undergo mental health awareness training in the wake of Ruth Perry鈥檚 death. Chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver also said Ofsted will respond in full to the senior coroner Heidi Connor’s recommendations from Perry鈥檚 inquest on 19 January. The coroner last month ruled an inspection in November 2022 contributed to the death by suicide of headteacher Perry in January last year. The leaders of headteacher unions the Association of School and College Leaders and the National Association of Head Teachers and Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts, will 鈥減rovide constructive challenge” to Ofsted’s coroner response. Ofsted said the group will continue to meet after the inquest response for “intensive work on ensuring head teachers feel confident, as inspections resume, to raise any serious concerns”. The watchdog said when inspections return on January 22, all lead inspectors working in schools and further education will have completed both sessions of the new mental health training. Every inspector will have completed the training by the end of March. Ofsted has committed to publishing the mental health training. ‘Change in culture’ It also wants to publish its response to the coroner’s report “as soon as it is completed, ensuring the whole profession can be reassured of the fullness of Ofsted鈥檚 response and Sir Martyn鈥檚 personal commitment to learn from the tragedy of Ruth Perry鈥檚 death”. Oliver said: 鈥淚nspection plays a vital role in making sure that children and learners are getting the education and care they need and deserve. So we need to get back to that work as quickly as we can. “But I鈥檝e also been very clear that we must reflect on the findings of the coroner, learn from the tragic events of last year, and emerge as a better and more effective inspectorate. That means being trusted by parents and respected by the education and social care professionals we work with. 鈥� He said the awareness training was the 鈥渃ritical first step in reassuring the sectors we work with that we鈥檙e serious about change鈥�. He described the meetings this week, which included meeting Perry鈥檚 sister, as 鈥渃onstructive鈥�. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, said: “I felt that for the first time in far too long Ofsted took seriously the concerns of NAHT members.” Cruddas tweeted: “The conversations today have been very positive and signal a change in practice, tone and culture.” Inspectors to observe minute鈥檚 silence Oliver will lead Ofsted inspectors in observing a minute鈥檚 silence for Perry during training on Monday to mark the first anniversary of the headteacher鈥檚 death. The former academy trust boss, who took over as chief inspector this week, made the commitment to Perry鈥檚 sister Julia Waters at the first meeting between Ofsted and her family on Thursday afternoon, BBC One鈥檚 South Today programme first reported. After the meeting, Waters told the broadcaster: 鈥淗e started talking about the training that鈥檚 starting next week, but he did say ‘I recognise that that training starts on the anniversary of Ruth鈥檚 death’, and he looked genuinely quite emotional when saying that. 鈥淎nd he says he’s going to be addressing all the inspectors and he will be asking for a moment’s silence and reflection on that, and making that link between, this is why we鈥檙e having the training.鈥�
Sandy Cameron 5 January 2024 鈥淚nspection plays a vital role in making sure that children and learners are getting the education and care they need and deserve.” “Inspection” (the Ofsted way) is NOT the only way to make sure children are getting the education to which they are entitled. (“Deserve”? Deserts have nothing to do with it!)
Mary Groves 6 January 2024 I think for too long OFSTED have been allowed to bully and abuse agencies they are ‘inspecting’. Happily I am now retired, but my experience of OFSTED is just that, a merry band of bullies, some of whom couldnt cut it as teachers, social workers and other public sector workers. They need to be a solution based agency that form a collaborative improvement service. They need to team up with agencies to raise and maintain standards, it’s not helpful to identify problems and walk away without helping to achieve improvements. I was not a teacher but I did meet the teacher in question, (before she was a head )at a number of interagency meetings, she was kind, compassionate and went to great lengths to ensure children were cared for protected and happy, she was a lovely teacher.
Mary Groves 6 January 2024 Ofsted need fundamental change, there is no longer a place for the punitive nature of this agency, a more collaborative improvement agency is what is needed.
Mary Groves 6 January 2024 Ofsted need fundamental change, there is no longer a place for the oppressive nature of this agency, a more collaborative improvement agency is what is needed.
Mary Groves 6 January 2024 Ofsted need fundamental change, there is no longer a place for the b….ing nature of this agency, a more collaborative improvement agency is what is needed.
Mary Groves 6 January 2024 Ofsted need fundamental change, there is no longer a place for psychologically harmful ‘inspection, a more collaborative improvement agency is what is needed.