Head's sister hits out at Ofsted boss for defending inspection

Amanda Spielman, Ofsted chief inspector, arrives at BBC Broadcasting House in London

The sister of a head teacher who took her own life after an Ofsted inspection has criticised the watchdog's boss for defending it.

Amanda Spielman told the BBC she had no reason to doubt the report into Caversham Primary in Reading.

Head teacher Ruth Perry died in January, knowing inspectors would downgrade the school's rating.

Her sister, Prof Julia Waters, said Ms Spielman's response was "totally inadequate".

She added that there had been a "glaring contrast" between what Ofsted had said about the school, compared with an earlier visit in 2019 to test a new framework for inspections in England.

In a statement to the BBC, she added that Ofsted's system was "not fit for purpose" with urgent reforms needed to "prevent another tragedy occurring".

• 'Halt Ofsted inspections after my sister's death'

In her first interview since Ms Perry's death, Ms Spielman told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme she believed the findings of the inspection, which took place last year, were "secure".

She added that the inspection team "worked with the professionalism and sensitivity that I would expect".

Asked if she had any concerns about what happened, she replied: "From what I've seen I don't have any reason to doubt the inspection."

Ms Perry knew the inspection would rate her primary school as inadequate, the lowest grade possible. Her family believe the anxiety and stress following the inspection led to her suicide.

Asked if she had spoken to the family, Ms Spielman said Ofsted had not received an approach and had not wanted to "intrude on their grief" but she would be "open" to a meeting.

Ms Spielman observed a pilot inspection of Caversham Primary in 2019, which took place after Ms Perry volunteered the school to help test a new inspection framework.

In newsletters to parents afterwards, the head teacher described the informal feedback they received as "glowing".

In her statement, Prof Waters said there was "glaring contrast" between this and the subsequent inspection last year.

She said the Ofsted chief had made "no reference" in her interview to having met her sister in 2019.

'Culture of fear'

She said that aspects of Ofsted's system, including single-word judgements and the length of time between inspections and the final report, had "contributed to my sister's decline and despair".

"We do not want warm words, thoughts or sympathies. We want urgent action now," she added.

In her interview, Ms Spielman acknowledged there was a "culture of fear" within schools over Ofsted inspections.

But she said this was the result of several factors, including people thinking about the consequences of inspections - particularly "inadequate" judgements - which she pointed out make up a "tiny proportion".

For the vast majority of schools, she added, the inspection process is a "positive and affirming experience".

Her comments are unlikely to soothe the anger of teachers, however, who since Ms Perry's death have been, day after day, expressing their fears and experiences of inspections that have been difficult.

'Bigger government decision'

Caversham Primary School was downgraded by Ofsted after inspectors decided that checks on staff and record-keeping of concerns about children were inadequate.

Under the current system, this meant the leadership of the school is declared inadequate, as well as the school overall.

The quality of education and behaviour at the school were praised by inspectors.

Ms Spielman defended the "clarity and simplicity" of the current inspection system, adding: "It's not for us to say we're going to fundamentally change the grading system, that would have to be a bigger government decision."

In a previous statement, she outlined some changes Ofsted is making, but said the single overall grade "currently plays an integral part in the wider school system".

These include looking at how inspectors can return quicker to schools which have work to do on safeguarding but are otherwise performing well, in order to reflect improvements in their judgements.

Newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said the way safeguarding issues affect a school's overall rating should be looked at.

Asked if he believed it can sometimes be "over the top", he replied: "I think it's important that a proportionate approach is taken."

Mary Bousted, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union said Ofsted inspections are not working at all and were a "problem which has been growing over decades".

Appearing on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, she said: "The problem is that Ofsted doesn't inspect schools fairly and that Ofsted doesn't know whether it raises qualities in schools at all...

"The problem that teachers and leaders have is that they've got no idea which inspection team will turn up at their school, one which will do a decent inspection or one which will be aggressive and demeaning."

Most of the outstanding schools in England inspected in 2021 were downgraded, according to Ofsted, when routine inspections resumed after nearly a decade.

Under a policy introduced under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in 2012, outstanding schools were only inspected where specific concerns had been raised.

The previous policy meant some schools went almost 15 years without an inspection, something Ms Spielman said had been a "mistake".