Your editorial (Michael Gove has left schools in flux. What comes next should be at the heart of the debate, 7 April) suggests that Ofsted faced uncomfortable questions following our inspection judgments of certain schools in Birmingham. I find nothing discomforting in defending our record. We know that schools can decline rapidly, particularly where there are changes to leadership and a lack of robust oversight, as was the case here.
It is by no means unprecedented for Ofsted to downgrade schools by two or three grades when we have reinspected schools as a result of concerns or complaints. In the year April 2013-14, eight schools that were inspected as a result of complaints received had their overall judgment downgraded from either good or outstanding to inadequate.
Ofsted’s first responsibility is to pupils – to ensure they are getting the quality of education they deserve. Only by reporting accurately and impartially on what we find can we help schools to improve.
Matthew Coffey
Chief operating officer, Ofsted
