To think that the DfE and Ofsted are in cahoots?

[sleepylampost]

A parent at our school complained to Ofsted about the fact that they did not come back to revisit before the DfE barged in and forced our school to become an academy. Low and behold who did she get a reply from? One of Gove's henchmen, or in this case as henchwoman, at the Department of Education.

I thought Ofsted was supposed to be independent! They seem to be incapable of even answering their own complaints from parents, without deferring to the DfE. Maybe they are too busy with their rubberstamps.

'a' henchwoman

It is highly speculated and I woulds say within local governments that Ofsted is the tool by which the DfE are making the changes from regular to academy.

The change in Ofsted criteria says it all really. Schools are set up to "fail" and lo, academies are boen.

Don't think they're independent at all. They always have a government agenda of one kind or another to follow.

No shit, really? It's in Gove's interest for schools to fail Ofsted and be forced to become academies?

where lola

Yes, I am a sarcastic and grumpy teacher.

YADNBU!

Ofsted head used to be a director of a company which ran academies.

The govt want to privatise education.

Of course they are all in cahoots.

Gove and Wilshaw sitting in a tree...

Ofsted get paid by the Government dont they?
Always look for who gets paid by who

The Guardian thought it was interesting too.... doesn't look like the DfE and Ofsted care who catches them in bed together.

Our petition to shake these critters off our back is nearly at 400... can you help us go higher? www.tinyurl.com/saveroke

Many thanks!

an HMI announced at a conference i was at, that ofsted is gove's bitch. i'm not sure that was the word we used, but he made his meaning clear.

@mrsbunny Wow how could inspector talk like that and keep his job? I wish more of them would pipe up.

I've been involved in an anti-academy campaign at a really lovely primary with a great head and the OFSTED inspection was a joke. The local authority had failed to get any schools to convert voluntarily so OFSTED rolled into town and suddenly found several 'failing' schools.

Gove has a face I could never tire of slapping.

@sleepy - it was a subject conference, not an ofsted one. i don't think he expected people to be taking notes. but i was.

They are doing city wide swoops so they can catch several school in a single trawl... analogies with seabed trawling wreaking havoc on little fledgling Oysters/kids abound!

Probably being naive here, but weren't acadamies Labour's idea?

Yeah Andrew Adonis's brainchild. Stooopid man did not Tory proof them.

OFSTED are shit full stop, they look for reasons to down grade academies too.

Either as a smoke screen to hide the forced conventions or so the Government can pretend to be being tough on education standards.

Totally unfair on staff and pupils.