Inadequate Ofsted

Tim Woodcock (Greenwich NUT)

It seems Ofsted are getting touchy about the bad press they are rightly receiving (and about time too!)
Their latest ‘Ofsted News’ tries to answer teachers’ criticisms about the new inspection arrangements. Schools have reported being downgraded because their fence was too low or because they failed to check the inspectors’ name badges ! More fundamentally, their judgements unfairly penalise schools in challenging circumstances.
Ofsted’s website invited comments - so here’s what I submitted:
“The decisions made by OfSTED potentially affect thousands of lives and the down grading of schools based on crude and subjective factors should be properly investigated and published for all to see. This is particularly important since the schools success or otherwise is open to public scrutiny and one damming statement can live with a school for a very long time. Your statement is bland and limited and does not reflect the damage a poor, clumsy or inaccurate result in an inspection can do to a school and the schools wider community”.
We have to stand up to the bullying regime of Sats, Ofsted, and endless targets, capability procedures and demoralising observations. United action can make a difference.