OFsted Virtual assessment Link - can I be honest ??

[52andblue]

So my children's school have just sent an email to say that there will be an Ofsted virtual inspection tomorrow and there is a parental link to provide feedback (by 11am tomorrow) to Ofsted about the School.

The School have been simply appalling with both my kids. Both have SN and SEN and neither have been taught appropriately (one, aged 13, just texted to say she'd been playing with string from her bag all afternoon as she wasn't allowed to go to the Library with the others) or even kept safe (they are extremely well behaved but badly bullied). The School is in special measures but it is even worse than I suspected before we went. I bitterly regret them going there and want to give honest feedback to improve it for the kids that come after mine (we are leaving this summer, as fast as we can).

We have an open SS assessment atm and School can still make inputs if they wish afaik. Another parent tells me that she felt School 'put the boot in' with SS when she complained in similar circumstances.

Can I safely give honest feedback on this link or will School see it does anyone know please? I appreciate this is a bit of a specialist Qu!

I'm fairly certain school will not see it but if it is a complaint you have made previously to them or something very specific they may guess if they are questioned about it. Ultimately this is a good way to try to get things changed and saying nothing is unlikely to help. I suspect there are issues with the school if they are inspecting at the moment.

OFSTED will ask the Head directly to address any negative comments. If it's person specific to your children then clearly they will be identifiable.

Indeed, if you want things to change for your children then you must understand that the school need to know what the issues are. Otherwise they cannot improve or change things for your children.

FYI OFSTED will not automatically take what you write as gospel and immediately 'blame' the school. Malicious complaints to OFSTED are far more previllent than genuine complaints, a fact the inspectors will be well aware of.

Social services referrals are a very serious matter and is managed by professionals. It's not done in a tit-for-tat way. Your comments to OFSTED will have no bearing on this. It may surprise you to know that the staff at struggling schools are often more dedicated, more professional and more highly qualified and experienced, compared to the average. This is especially true for the senior management in a school already in a category.

thank you @notdaddycool
thank you@FATEdestiny

A local lawyer has already warned me that the School had made some 'interesting' remarks to SS which had nothing to do with the investigation which is why I am wary of giving honest feedback at present. I simply wanted to know if the link was safe but yes of course the issues may well be identifiable and that could be a problem for us.
It is probably safer for me to say nothing, but that doesn't seem right.

"It may surprise you to know that the staff at struggling schools are often more dedicated, more professional and more highly qualified and experienced, compared to the average. This is especially true for the senior management in a school already in a category"

This is a School that has been in Special Measures for some time. An ex member of staff won a legal case against them after being fired for whistleblowing re a previous inspection. The Head ignores letters. The local MP is aware. The local Caamhs team are aware.

This is not a minor matter, nor is it malicious. The Senior Management team isn't remotely 'professional': that is the problem.