Ofsted pressure horrendous, Bristol education consultant says

Ruth Perry was the head at Caversham Primary School in Reading

A Bristol-based education consultant has urged teachers to record conversations with Ofsted inspectors after a head took her own life.

Ruth Perry was expecting Caversham Primary School in Reading to be downgraded from "outstanding" to "inadequate" when she died in January.

Anna Ephgrave, who has 30 years teaching experience, says anxiety caused by inspections is "horrendous".

The Department for Education (DfE) said they were a legal requirement.

But Ms Ephgrave said teachers should have more scope to challenge a grading.

Speaking to BBC Bristol, she said schools get less than 24 hours notice before inspectors arrive, creating an atmosphere of constant stress.

"It just impacts every moment of your time in work really. It's horrendous," she said.

'Unbelievably harsh'

Ms Ephgrave has worked in two schools that received an inadequate rating.

"Those schools did not deserve that, they were doing amazing work in the most difficult circumstances, but for a head teacher that's the end of them. It's unbelievably harsh," she continued.

"Inspectors come in, they make a judgement based on incredibly little evidence and we are left with that label for years."

According to Ms Perry's sister Julia Waters, inspectors said a boy doing the "flossing" dance move from the videogame Fortnight was evidence of the sexualisation of children at the school.

Ms Ephgrave said: "There's nothing in the report would say, 'Because we saw one boy flossing in the corridor…', they will just say there was evidence of child sexualisation in that school.

"I think teachers should insist on those conversations [with inspectors] being recorded, so they have some come back to say, 'You've only got this one example'."

'Take power away'

Some schools have said they will be removing their "good" or "outstanding" banners from their railings.

"They are just going to take the power away from Ofsted, which I think is a brilliant first move," Ms Ephgrave said.

Teachers are also calling for heads and assistant heads who act as Ofsted inspectors to step down, she added.

Ms Ephgrave said she had dealt with inspections "by getting stroppy", but added "I know many, many people that have left the profession due to a nervous breakdown."

The DfE offered its condolences to Ms Perry's loved ones but said inspections were a "legal requirement".

A spokesman said: "Inspections are hugely important as they hold schools to account for their educational standards and parents greatly rely on the ratings to give them confidence in choosing the right school for their child."

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