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Original poster

First headteacher refuses to be Ofsteded in boycott

501 replies

noblegiraffe · 20/03/2023 13:36

There has been talk on twitter over the weekend of a boycott of Ofsted in protest at its ridiculous system of stressful high-stakes inspections and public shaming, following the suicide of a headteacher in January after her outstanding primary was downgraded to inadequate.

This morning the first brave headteacher has put her head above the parapet. Ofsted called to notify of an inspection tomorrow and the head said no.

twitter.com/florascooper/status/1637760884243066881?s=46&t=vKGM6xpoeW3wdlaVVVagQA

She is calling for people to come to the school tomorrow morning to support the boycott (details on twitter).

I hope this becomes the catalyst for a serious review and reform of the inspection system.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
TorviShieldMaiden · 23/03/2023 16:53

Well it isn't considered good practice and has shown to be damaging, especially to disabled children. It also potentially produces children who seek reward and can’t cope when they don’t get recognition.

Ofstedareunsafe · 23/03/2023 17:22

cantkeepawayforever · 21/03/2023 17:29

The thing is, the Ofsted-speak of the report IS the same as a few children flossing on the playground. Those are the snippets of evidence used to generate the conclusions.

From what I have gleaned:
-one member of staff / volunteer had a period when they were abroad, from which a detailed report had not been possible for a DBS. The error the school made was in not prepared a specific risk assessment with this in mind.

-Some dinner ladies did not give the ‘right’ answer to ‘who would you speak to if you had a safeguarding concern about a child’. They probably named someone sensible - eg the Head - but dud not name the DSL or (more likely) did not give the exactly correct answer when pressed on who to speak to in the very rare instance that the first 3 options were absent.

Onto these specific concerns were grafted - as ‘additional evidence’ - flossing as ‘overly sexualised behaviour’ , and two children scrapping, as ‘peer on peer abuse’. They also remarked on wet playtime supervision, not considered whether this might gave been affected by staff illness, absence or key staff being in meetings with or about Ofsted at the time (last Ofsted I had, all staff were pulled into the gall for a meeting with the inspector. Supervision of the pupils for that short period was not what it usually would be.

You have to have experienced Ofsted to understand what the serious pompous language may actually mean in practice. ‘The school does not value reading’ = ‘3 year 10 boys, asked at random at break time, admitted that they did not often read novels for pleasure’ is one I particularly remember….

This!
The problem is the report makes wide ranging statements that sound very worrying. But the actual things that happened don’t justify such an extreme statement.

Take for example the issue with a member of staff spending a brief period abroad and no records being possible but all other checks & DBS being done (they may have been volunteering in a country without police checks for example).

Ofsted could have written - whilst the majority of checking is happening, where out of the ordinary safeguarding checks need to be done, the leadership team need further specific knowledge and should seek further advice about this to ensure their otherwise thorough systems are water tight. Although most staff knew who to go to with a safeguarding concern, some part time, more junior members of staff may need further training in what to do should the senior members of staff be away and they have a safeguarding concern.

^ this would be a fairer assessment of the situation.

Or rather than saying that playground supervision is unsuitable the inspectors could say more specifically what they took issue with. Then parents could decide if seeing some children flossing was normal fun or a problem for them.

Ofsted often use tiny bits of evidence to make sweeping statements. No A level student would get away with that in an essay and far less is at stake!

Babyboomtastic · 23/03/2023 20:52

TorviShieldMaiden · 23/03/2023 16:53

Well it isn't considered good practice and has shown to be damaging, especially to disabled children. It also potentially produces children who seek reward and can’t cope when they don’t get recognition.

I wholeheartedly agree. Maybe it'll be picked up by the next Ofsted inspection...

Original poster
noblegiraffe · 24/03/2023 07:39

Ofsted have released a statement. Finally.

It's 'very sad, but we think we're right in what we do, so we're going to keep doing it'.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-from-his-majestys-chief-inspector

Statement from His Majesty’s Chief Inspector

A statement from Ofsted's Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-from-his-majestys-chief-inspector

OP posts:
Ofstedareunsafe · 24/03/2023 12:53

noblegiraffe · 24/03/2023 07:39

Ofsted have released a statement. Finally.

It's 'very sad, but we think we're right in what we do, so we're going to keep doing it'.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-from-his-majestys-chief-inspector

Abolsutely no responsibly taken. We shouldn’t be surprised though that ofsted (who have recruited people for years who have no business making judgements) have drunk their own cool aide. They are hardly likely to turn around and say “yes we are a massive waste of money, we measure all the wrong things and we do so in abusive way, please fire us all and go back to the drawing board”. If they did, I’d finally have some respect for them!

Shittingpigeon · 24/03/2023 15:58

whattodo1975 · 20/03/2023 13:50

As parents though we have to hold our hands up and recognise that we are part of the problem. The amount of emphasis parents place on an ofsted report when picking a school for child, its no wonder head teachers mental health is knackered.

This 👆

Chrisp63 · 25/03/2023 09:15

We want our schools to be inspected. Some schools going into Lala land . But who inspects the inspectors? My view is that schools very expensive and soon much will be online learning . Schools going to change dramatically in the next two decades .. the process has already begun many saying they won’t send their children to school as they no longer trust the education system and as ever the poorest will be the ones to suffer. This is all part of the process and the long march to the future. You have to have a backbone that’s as strong as an ox these days to do anything with any responsibility as all so public. Good luck with being in the state then going against it !

Notellinganyone · 25/03/2023 16:19

Chrisp63 · 25/03/2023 09:15

We want our schools to be inspected. Some schools going into Lala land . But who inspects the inspectors? My view is that schools very expensive and soon much will be online learning . Schools going to change dramatically in the next two decades .. the process has already begun many saying they won’t send their children to school as they no longer trust the education system and as ever the poorest will be the ones to suffer. This is all part of the process and the long march to the future. You have to have a backbone that’s as strong as an ox these days to do anything with any responsibility as all so public. Good luck with being in the state then going against it !

I’m a teacher with 27 years’ experience and a parent of a teen during lockdown and I totally disagree with you. Schools will never be replaced with online learning- they are totally different things.

cantkeepawayforever · 25/03/2023 16:23

I think schools may have to be replaced with some form of online learning if the current haemorrhage of teachers cannot be halted. The current punitive Ofsted inspection regime contributes to teachers leaving the profession - so Ofsted in its current form is making online learning more likely despite the fact that it is an obviously inferior form of education.

OP posts:
Original poster
noblegiraffe · 25/03/2023 17:11

Nursery owner told Ofsted must go ahead despite the manager being with her dying mother.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-65056490

Former headteacher describes how he had to leave his father's deathbed to be present for Ofsted inspection.

https://twitter.com/lbc/status/1639595021207994368?s=61&t=U9XrcF693-JpMxeIueYG7g

Kim Sallis

Eastleigh pre-school shuts over Ofsted inspection row

The watchdog refused to defer its visit despite a manager being away on compassionate grounds.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-65056490

OP posts:
Chrisp63 · 25/03/2023 17:28

Hi, you totally disagree that it will happen in one form or another or disagree that it should happen? I’m not advocating it. I’m simply saying that that’s the direction its going in. And the more messy and daft it gets in schools the more people won’t send their children and the less viable they will be and boom, no more schools! It’s a give ‘em enough rope thing’ in my view.

Tanith · 25/03/2023 22:19

They wouldn't defer when my mum was dying, either. I'm a childminder. I was trying to spend every moment outside of work with her, but I didn't know exactly how long she had and I couldn't afford to close indefinitely.
She died a week after the inspection.

Original poster
noblegiraffe · 25/03/2023 23:18

Tanith, I am so sorry that happened to you. The system is inhumane.

OP posts:
greatchatter · 26/03/2023 10:09

These are the people that change society for the better. What a hero!

indecisivewoman81 · 26/03/2023 10:18

Good for her.

OFSTED terrifies the school staff, upsets the children and causes unnecessary stress

AdaLane · 26/03/2023 11:10

I do wonder if we should have a thread that gives school staff a chance to offload about their OFSTED experiences. A safe space, but also a record.

MrsMurphyIWish · 26/03/2023 11:32

AdaLane · 26/03/2023 11:10

I do wonder if we should have a thread that gives school staff a chance to offload about their OFSTED experiences. A safe space, but also a record.

If you go to ICT Mr P he has set up a Google form which you can read and share Ofsted experiences. It’s pretty harrowing.

AdaLane · 26/03/2023 17:49

MrsMurphyIWish · 26/03/2023 11:37

Thanks!

Mopscharlotte · 27/03/2023 21:29

Good idea

Ireallydohope · 28/03/2023 01:01

It's outrageous that OFSTED have been allowed to continue in the way they have for so long.

Those 4 words causing such unnecessary stress

TheMotherSide · 29/03/2023 20:28

Ada, I think that your idea of an Ofsted thread is good. The Google form mentioned would only really be accessed by teachers and school leaders, I imagine, but a thread on MN brings the brutality of the process to the attention of a wider, less niche, audience. And parents, in the main, the children of whom are almost certain to be subjected to Ofsted at some point.
If you feel moved to, start a thread. I'm sure many of us would contribute.

Swipe left for the next trending thread