The scathing comments of Prof Julia Waters on the government’s proposed tweaks to the way Ofsted inspects and reports on schools are entirely justified and everything she says is completely true (Ruth Perry’s sister joins calls to pause proposed Ofsted overhaul, 28 April).
In the past 25 years, stress caused by Ofsted inspections has been cited in no fewer than 10 coroner’s reports and there is clear evidence that many more school leaders have considered taking their lives following a negative inspection.
It is quite astonishing that the current “consultation” makes no reference to these shocking facts, while appearing to be based on the premise that a system that aims to “improve” schools by the deliberate use of public humiliation is fundamentally sound and just needs some cosmetic changes.
Ofsted’s only clearly observable “achievement” is to have brought about a crisis in the recruitment and retention of teachers. The government must know all this and it is time it had the courage to acknowledge that a complete rethink is well overdue.
Michael Pyke
The Campaign for State Education
• Julia Waters and others are right to question the role of Ofsted and the government’s consultation. The proposed changes are still based on the primacy of parental choice. That is misguided and damaging. The primacy for the state system should surely be to raise standards across the system. The current summative system demoralises many staff and can set some schools on a downward cycle. Schools in difficulties, often in the most challenging circumstances, should be supported, not named and shamed. This requires a formative assessment system.
Of course, parents should be kept informed, but that could be by a report with commendations and recommendations together with an action plan for improvement developed jointly by the inspectors and the school. This radical change of approach could not be adopted by Ofsted. It would need to be disbanded and replaced by an office for school and college improvement.
Robert Dyson
Emeritus professor, University of Warwick
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