Head teacher kills herself over OFSTED

people naming the OFSTED Lead Inspector, checking out his previous inspection reports to find fault, and his own unfortunate experience as a Head etc. It almost feels like a vendetta against an individual. And he has a child at a school in the same county. We don't know the full details, but the man was doing his job wasn't he? Blame the system, not the individual.

A lead inspector’s name is on an Ofsted report so in the public domain anyway. His past credentials and experience are relevant. Why should people not look into them? Ofsted reports are ‘personally’ critical of Headteachers; it’s about time those in education (myself included in that) stand up to such public naming and shaming. Well done to the Head who is refusing entry to inspectors in her school.

I have said it before, and will say it again. If you take the senior management role in any organisation, then the buck stops with you, and considering how you would cope in a situation where you were found wanting, should be somethig you think through before you accept a senior management role.

From what was quoted on the previous page, the school was found wanting - and on serious grounds.

Something similar happened at my DGC's school some years ago. The headmistress bit the bullet, sorted the problem out and the school was given a top or near top grading the following year. Parents are not fools. DS& DDiL knew that their eldest childs school was a good school and sent their second child there during the year it was marked down. Schools have local reputations, and parents work on that.

I have every sympathy for those at the school and the family and friends of the deceased headmistress. But we need to separate the head teacher's tragic over reaction to this problem from the fact that OFSTED inspections have been round for a longtime, that good or bad, teachers will be used to them and headteachers, in particular will have survived many in different circumstances and coping with them is part of their job spec.

Galaxy

If that report is correct he had no option but to report those safeguarding issues. The employment checks alone are very serious.

Agreed, however I really believe the system needs change.

If that report is correct he had no option but to report those safeguarding issues. The employment checks alone are very serious.

A petition has been started to look at the inspection
www.change.org/p/grant-an-inquiry-of-the-ofsted-inspection-at-caversham-primary-school

Yes, something has to be done nanaK54. However, as you suggested, I took a quick look at FloraSCooper on Twitter and didnt really like what I saw ....people naming the OFSTED Lead Inspector, checking out his previous inspection reports to find fault, and his own unfortunate experience as a Head etc. It almost feels like a vendetta against an individual. And he has a child at a school in the same county. We don't know the full details, but the man was doing his job wasn't he? Blame the system, not the individual.

When it comes to safeguarding a school is either compliant, or not.

uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/headteacher-plans-refuse-ofsted-entry-145945084.html

If you are on Twitter you might like to check out FloraSCooper she is making a stand against Ofsted

I once almost met the then Head of Ofsted Chris Woodhead when he visited a school I did some support work in. I didn't. Certain measures were taken to ensure nothing went amiss during his visit and I was left in charge of them.

Glorianny

Joseanne

did not start with a bang ooer, unfortunate word, sorry.
Maybe you should have drunk some Red Bull before class.

I think "lessons which start with a bang" would be just as misconstrued by some teenagers as flossing was by the inspectors. The inspectors need to watch their language!

One of our lessons did start with a bang when an experiment went wrong in the lab! It was the teacher who was demonstrating too, not a disruptive pupil.
She was ok, thankfully.

Luckygirl3

*I'm horrified for the woman and her family and her friends and her school and the inspectors but agree with you that the inspection team had no option.*

I hear what you say; but my concern is about the system itself.

We need inspectors who, if they find such problems, have the remit to sit down and work with the head and the governors to sort it out - in other words do something positive to improve the situation, rather than writing a damning public report and walking away as if it has nothing to do with them.

The whole OfSted system arose out of a desire for window-dressing to convince the public that something was ostensibly being done to raise educational standards. It was ill thought through and ignored the need for support to schools to improve, rather than simple reporting-writing on the basis of what is little more than a spot check.

👏👏👏

Joseanne

^did not start with a bang^ ooer, unfortunate word, sorry.
Maybe you should have drunk some Red Bull before class.

I think "lessons which start with a bang" would be just as misconstrued by some teenagers as flossing was by the inspectors. The inspectors need to watch their language!

did not start with a bang ooer, unfortunate word, sorry.
Maybe you should have drunk some Red Bull before class.

When I went under school inspection I was told that my lessons did not start with a 'bang' to get the children's attention. However, my O level, A level and GCSE results were excellent and at the other end, I was getting pupils in the lower sets through their CSEs with good grades. We were all happy together. Another more recent inspection I know of in a Christian faith school deemed it not up to speed on certain aspects because it stuck to traditional ways of faith. You can't win. Again, well run school from a traditional perspective but not all encompassing enough.

The Floss has been a constant fixture in primaries since FortNite hit the big time in 2016 (in fact I’m surprised that it’s still about).
I’m gobsmacked that the inspector hadn’t come across it previously, and I am baffled as to how they read anything ‘sexual’ into it.
I’d be a bit concerned about their mindset tbh

I'm horrified for the woman and her family and her friends and her school and the inspectors but agree with you that the inspection team had no option.

I hear what you say; but my concern is about the system itself.

We need inspectors who, if they find such problems, have the remit to sit down and work with the head and the governors to sort it out - in other words do something positive to improve the situation, rather than writing a damning public report and walking away as if it has nothing to do with them.

The whole OfSted system arose out of a desire for window-dressing to convince the public that something was ostensibly being done to raise educational standards. It was ill thought through and ignored the need for support to schools to improve, rather than simple reporting-writing on the basis of what is little more than a spot check.

Iam64

Glorianny

My GCs certainly do the Flossing dance. They tried teaching me! If that is "evidence of sexualised behaviour" it's ridiculous. I thought we got past those sort of ideas when people did things like the Twist. Oh dear!Just remembered mine were trying to twerk the other day!!

Thanks Glory - I agree with your comparison between the flossing dance and the twist and like you, had assumed the days of moral outrage were left in the 1950’s.
One of our local schools has been marked from outstanding (20 years) to needing improvement, on safeguarding issues. The published report says some children were heard using racist or homophobic comments in the corridor. A child was not referred to as they, when this had been requested. Exam results remain excellent. The school has been over subscribed in the 40 years since I had children applying for high school.

I agree that schools should be accountable but is Ofsted fit for purpose. I remember Ofsted in the organisation I worked in. One inspector was excellent. But the nonsense about the focus in tick box exercises rather than in depth investigation of a long piece of work left me feeling it wasn’t identifying best/worst practice in a meaningful way

No school can completely change the language and the opinions children are fed at home You can do your best to modify them but away from supervision they will revert to what they are used to. It isn't the school's failure. This is actually a class judgement. Schools with nice middle class families will have more acceptable views, poorer areas will have more families with different values.

Glorianny

My GCs certainly do the Flossing dance. They tried teaching me! If that is "evidence of sexualised behaviour" it's ridiculous. I thought we got past those sort of ideas when people did things like the Twist. Oh dear!Just remembered mine were trying to twerk the other day!!

Thanks Glory - I agree with your comparison between the flossing dance and the twist and like you, had assumed the days of moral outrage were left in the 1950’s.
One of our local schools has been marked from outstanding (20 years) to needing improvement, on safeguarding issues. The published report says some children were heard using racist or homophobic comments in the corridor. A child was not referred to as they, when this had been requested. Exam results remain excellent. The school has been over subscribed in the 40 years since I had children applying for high school.

I agree that schools should be accountable but is Ofsted fit for purpose. I remember Ofsted in the organisation I worked in. One inspector was excellent. But the nonsense about the focus in tick box exercises rather than in depth investigation of a long piece of work left me feeling it wasn’t identifying best/worst practice in a meaningful way

I assumed the 2022 one hadn't gone up yet.

* * The Epsom College shooting was carried out by the husband, just to make this clear.

NotSpaghetti

I don't see the report on the Ofsted site - I think this is it:

reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/109778

The 2022 report was taken down out of respect and further investigation.
The inspectorate will treat this very seriously. I know that the day the announcement was made that the Head at Epsom College had possibly killed herself, (maybe after an inspection??), all upcoming inspections were temporarily put on hold.
As someone said up thread, inspectors are human beings and not cruel.

Also as said upthread others have responsibility in regard to safeguarding, the governing body, the LA advisor, etc. I come from social care management so I find the hierarchy in education quite different, I always felt I had layers of support 'above' me which almost spread the load. In education it all feels focussed on the head, it seems quite a lonely place to be.

I don't see the report on the Ofsted site - I think this is it:

reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/109778

Feb. 2009 was the last inspection.
The staff have changed substantially and the previous headteacher had died. The governors are new too apparently.
Where was the help/oversight?

I'd be interested to see the full report (am assuming this is not it!).

So, is the title to this thread now incorrect?