OFSTED

[ThornInMySide84]

If you complain to OFSTED about a school do they tell the school who made the complaint?

No

No

but presumably you have spoken to the school about your complaint and engaged with them?

Why would you complain to Ofsted

Surely you'd start with the Governors and LEA have you done that first ?

It’s actually my friend who’s complained. She works in a school but is very unhappy with the way something is being dealt with. She’s raised it with the Head but decided to report them to OFSTED but is now panicking about her job if they disclose it was her to the school. I said I would have assumed OFSTED would give them all the details of the complaint by which would identify her.

No, but Ofsted should only get involved if you have followed the school's complaints procedure and are still not happy, so it is likely the school will have a good idea.

She should follow the local authority whistleblowing policy unless it's a safeguarding issue, directly related to the headteacher.

If it's safeguarding related to the headteacher then she should report to the Chair of Governors and LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer).

If the concern is about the head, then your friend should follow the schools whistleblowing policy, which would most likely be informing the chair of governors.

You work in a school, don’t you OP?

@cultureplanet yes, but I’m not a teacher. She is a qualified teacher.

Yes they do!
For example for a safeguarding complaint it goes to the LA and it has the email address and phone number of the person (often made up) to the LA who passes it to the school.

To be clear- Ofsted send it to the LA and ask them to look into it.

So she got as far as “raising” it and then seemingly before any response from the head… just decided to go ahead and “report” to ofsted.

She sounds both ignorant and malicious. Quite a combo

unless others have also made the same complaint - then I imagine the head will put 2 and 2 together!

Very good advice from.@Littlefish
Usually the LA will be informed by Ofsted if there's been a complaint and they'll contact the school. If it's a complaint that bears further attention it may escalate but usually they will seek to resolve it and address any actions that need to be undertaken.
If it's safeguarding and related to the Head that's a whole different matter.
In either case, your friend should really have followed the safeguarding/ staff code of conduct policy or the whistleblowing policy.
If the complaint is referred to the school they may not say who has made it, but surely the nature of it will make it clear where it originated?

Well it'll be fairly obvious if someone has reported something to the head and suddenly there's also an ofsted report about the same thing.

There won't be an Ofsted report
Ofsted dont investigate except in a minute amount of cases.

They contact the complainant -assuming they gave account details and tell them to follow the school complaints policy

If it is safeguarding they contact the complainant and tell them that it has been passed to the LA. The LA then 'investigate' which means it it sent to the school - governors to investigate or the MAT. The LA then receive the outcome of the investigation and let Ofsted know. (The LA may investigate themselves in some circumstances)

Without knowing what the matter is- it isnt possible to say the exact route.

When a school is inspected they often tell you in the initial phone call about any complaints received since the last inspection. They may ask you about them during the inspection- but generally they dont.

I would imagine it’s fairly obvious it’s her if she’s already raised it with the head.

I don’t imagine her job will be her job for much longer.

In my experience, complaining to ofsted is as useful as a chocolate teapot

Because that is not the role of ofsted
they have a limited remit

LovelyGreenCushions has described the procedure clearly. Parents ( and staff) do have a strange idea of OFSTED's role. They do NOT investigate complaints, they pass them on to the LA who contact the school. In some instances, it MAY trigger an earlier inspection but this would generally be in several complaints had been received from different sources. A complaint MAY lead to a line of enquiry at an investigation, if there is a safeguarding complaint they will go through the safeguarding records with a fine toothcomb, if there is a bullying complaint, similarly they will go through the disciplinary records. But they won't send an Inspector in to investigate a complaint!

I can't edit on my iPad!
A complaint MAY lead to a line of enquiry at an inspection NOT investigation!

@LovelyGreenCushions I meant about anything, even a school being dishonest during their inspection.