Sussex teachers speak out as education unions call for the abolition of Ofsted
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The calls come after the death of Reading headteacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life after her school was downgraded from ‘Outstanding’ to ‘inadequate’ following an Ofsted inspection.
Both the National Education Union (NEU) and NASWUT: The Teacher’s Union have demanded an immediate freeze on inspections, and to allow for a full mental health assessment to be carried out on teachers and senior members of staff. In its place.
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Hide AdPhil Walker, performing arts teacher and NEU representative at Chichester High School compared Ofsted to a ‘sledgehammer’, adding ‘what you really need is a surgical scalpel.’
"I think where it’s really stressful is where you’re a department head, or a senior leader or a head teacher, because that one word can make or break you. Schools are complicated machines – they’re about human beings, and human beings are complicated, particularly when it comes to students.
"It’s just far too black and white, and I don’t think there are black and whites in situations like this. I what’s needed is a lighter touch over a longer period of time.”
His fellow teachers have reported similar issues with Ofsted, speaking out about the impact upcoming inspections have had on themselves and their colleagues. “It really does put a huge amount of stress on staff,” said History teacher Callum Roper. “The push to get that ‘Outstanding’ grade puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on people. When I was doing my teacher training, our group switched out schools for six weeks to experience other schools – the person I switched with had to deal with an Ofsted inspection pretty much out the bat and I can remember coming back to all the relief that it was over. To put that on a trainee teacher – even though they performed amazingly – it’s no surprise there are calls by unions to assess staff wellbeing.”
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Hide AdAnother West Sussex teacher, who asked to remain nameless, added: “In my experience, Ofsted has been a source of anxiety, placing even more pressure on myself and my colleagues, who are already subject to the pressures schools are facing, such as retention rates and the all-consuming workload.
“This anxiety is something both myself and my colleagues have faced before being notified of our inspection. Even though we were anticipating it and we were as prepared as we could be, it still felt overwhelming. I think if Ofsted gave a longer notice period upon inspection, it would definitely ease this pressure, alongside offering more support during the process of inspections.”
Declining to comment on calls to freeze inspections, an Ofsted spokesperson told National World: “Inspections are first and foremost for children and their parents - looking in depth at the quality of education, behaviour and how well, and safely, schools are run.
“Our inspectors are all former or current school leaders who fully understand the pressures of the role. We always want inspections to be constructive and collaborative, and in the vast majority of cases, school leaders agree that they are.”