Ofsted chief tells downgraded grammars: ‘Don’t take it personally’

GRAMMAR schools were not intentionally penalised by inspectors who removed the “outstanding” status from hundreds of state schools in England last year, the head of Ofsted has insisted.

Amanda Spielman defended the education watchdog’s inspection programme after grammar school head teachers accused its inspectors of being unfair. Ofsted withdrew the “outstanding” status from 308 of the 370 outstanding schools it inspected last year, including 23 grammar schools.

But Ms Spielman yesterday told MPS on the education select committee that some teachers were taking “incredibly personally things that I hope they can manage... not to take personally”.

Many of the “outstanding” schools inspected in 2021 had not been inspected for more than a decade because of a previous exemption for outstanding schools from further inspection. Ms Spielman said many had seen several changes in leadership since their last inspection.

Responding to questioning by Tory MP Andrew Lewer about how Ofsted manages any “disinclination” inspectors may have towards grammars, she said: “By having a very clear inspection framework, which is completely neutral on the type and structure and control of a school, and by having a lot of inspector training to help people understand firstly, that they are there to apply that framework, not to substitute their own conception of good education, and secondly, a great deal of quality assurance to make sure that translates in practice.”

Grammars which saw their outstanding status changed to “good” include Henrietta Barnett School in London, where almost 90 per cent of A-level grades this year were A or A*.

Four “outstanding” grammars were re-rated at less than “good”, including Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School in Rossendale, Lancashire, which was downgraded to “inadequate” after an Ofsted inspector uncovered failings including “incidents of harmful sexual behaviour” that go “unchallenged or are dismissed by leaders”.

Overall, 66 per cent of outstanding grammars inspected last year were downgraded, while 77 per cent of outstanding academies were downgraded.

Ms Spielman said parents of pupils at former outstanding schools which were now rated worse than “good”, should have “some reassurance” as significant problems will now be addressed.

She also told MPS it is a “safeguarding risk” for schools to keep parents in the dark if their child is having “serious questions or doubts” about their gender.

She said there is “very little guidance” available to schools, with new advice from the Department for Education expected at the end of the year.

SIR – Ofsted seems to have forgotten the impact of its somewhat arbitrary downgrading exercise on pupils, teachers and families (“Ofsted strips schools of ‘outstanding’ ratings”, report, November 22).

Pupils’ attainment will suffer from their teachers’ loss of confidence, while parents face the prospect of negative equity at a time of rising interest rates as the value of houses in previously outstanding school catchments declines.

Public accountability for schools is important, but so is support and sharing of best practice. If Ofsted is truly to serve our school communities, it needs to focus on where it can help and not on looking for faults to justify a change in approach.

Our schools are resilient and important community assets, and often the only hope for generations of children of enjoying a rewarding and fulfilling future. Ofsted needs urgent reform if it doesn’t recognise this.

Neil Roskilly

Trustee, Diamond Learning Partnership Trust

Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire