Education Secretary Gillian Keegan backs Ofsted's one-word assessments
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan backs Ofsted’s one-word assessments despite calls for the system to be abolished following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry
- Headteacher Ruth Perry killed herself in January awaiting an Oftsed report
- Read more: Gillian Keegan goes off-message on gender identity rules
The Education Secretary has backed Ofsted’s one-word assessments despite calls from teachers for the system to be changed.
Gillian Keegan said the ratings, ranging from ‘outstanding’ to ‘inadequate’, are ‘easy for parents to navigate’.
Headteacher Ruth Perry killed herself in January while awaiting an Ofsted report downgrading her school from the highest rating to the lowest.
Her heartbroken family have said her death was a ‘direct result’ of the inspection. The tragedy sparked calls for the schools watchdog to be abolished.
Ms Keegan described the death of Ms Perry, the headteacher at Caversham Primary School in Reading, Berkshire, as ‘tragic’ and said His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education is looking at whether the way the regulator works with schools can be improved.
Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan gestures as she speaks at the London Screen Academy
A photograph of Ruth Perry attached to the fence outside John Rankin Schools in Newbury, Berkshire
But the minister insisted that ‘undermining Ofsted’ is ‘not the right approach’, describing the role it plays in upholding standards and safeguarding as ‘crucial’.
‘I know His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is looking at this following the tragic case of Ruth Perry, which is tragic and our thoughts do go out to her family and friends and her school community,’ she said.
READ MORE: Furious teacher accuses Ofsted of ‘murder’ following the death of Ruth Perry
Asked if she supports Ofsted’s single-word assessments, which rank schools from ‘outstanding’ to ‘inadequate’, Ms Keegan said: ‘Yeah. They’re clear. They’re simple to understand.’
She added: ‘There’s quite a broad framework that’s assessed as part of Ofsted and they’ve actually looked to broaden that framework even more.
‘Of course, if there are areas that needed to develop further then that is where the right conversation to have is.’
Critics argue single-word ratings fail to reflect the complexity of a school and the quality of its teaching.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: ‘One-word Ofsted grades have clearly now had their day.
‘While they may appear simple to understand, they are not reliable and at worse can give an incomplete and inaccurate picture of a school’s performance.
‘It is impossible to accurately describe something as complex as a school in just a single word, and it’s worrying that ministers think this can be done.
‘There is also growing evidence that parents no longer value these overly simplistic judgments and would value a more balanced, descriptive approach. It is time to move on from this outdated and unreliable system.’
But an Ofsted spokesman said: ‘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.’
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