Ruth Perry: Schools cut Ofsted references in tribute

Head teachers are removing references to Ofsted from websites, occupation adverts and letters successful tribute to a caput who killed herself aft an inspection.

But the authorities says Ofsted is "crucial" to maintaining standards.

In the reception country of Katesgrove Primary School, successful Reading, adjacent to a agleam clump of daffodils, determination is simply a framed photograph of Ms Perry.

Katesgrove caput teacher Sue N'Jai and her enforcement head, Lisa Telling, worked intimately with Ms Perry for much than 20 years arsenic portion of a close-knit radical of elder acquisition unit successful the area.

The schoolhouse was graded arsenic "good" successful its astir caller Ofsted inspection, successful 2017, but successful caller days Mrs N'Jai has removed each Ofsted quotes from the school's website and from occupation adverts.

In a missive sent to parents connected Wednesday, Mrs Telling said: "Whilst we volition person each statutory items disposable connected the schoolhouse websites, we volition person nary further references to Ofsted visible.

"We are doing this arsenic a motion of solidarity to Ruth, her family, her friends and the assemblage of Caversham Primary."

Many schools take to diagnostic Ofsted's one-word ratings connected signs by their entrances, quotes connected their websites, successful occupation adverts oregon letters to parents.

But the lone statutory regularisation schools person to travel is to marque Ofsted inspection reports - including the standing - disposable for parents and the wider nationalist to spot connected the schoolhouse website.

Mrs N'Jai believes her schoolhouse is apt to beryllium inspected soon. When it is, she volition deterioration a achromatic armband and show photos of Ms Perry passim the school.

"It volition beryllium optional for our unit but Lisa and I surely volition beryllium wearing achromatic armbands successful representation of Ruth," Mrs N'Jai said.

"We would precise overmuch similar to person her beingness felt."

The Prince of Wales School, successful Dorchester, Dorset, is besides "paying our respects" to Ms Perry, caput teacher Gary Spracklen says, by removing the Ofsted logo from schoolhouse communications, specified arsenic from the bottommost of letters.

"Ultimately I recognise that Ofsted person a work to inspect schoolhouse but what I besides recognise is that it is not my relation to beforehand that standing done my mundane communications," helium said.

Apart from keeping its Ofsted study connected the schoolhouse website, "I americium nary longer consenting to springiness Ofsted immoderate much airtime", Mr Spracklen said.

"If Ofsted travel to america tomorrow, for example, and gave my schoolhouse a bully report, I americium not going to spell instrumentality immoderate banners outside," helium said.

"We don't person to marque Ofsted thing bigger than it is by talking astir them each the time.

My Ofsted standing does not specify maine oregon my school."

It comes arsenic Reading Borough Council leaders, who oversaw Ms Perry's school, wrote to Ofsted to articulation calls for a intermission successful inspections, to code the "serious questions" raised nationally since her death.

The inspection process "must person greater attraction connected supporting schools successful a continuous and semipermanent way", the assembly said.

Ofsted has not commented but to explicit condolences astatine the decease of Ms Perry.

The Department for Education said Ofsted upheld standards and parents relied connected inspection reports "to springiness them assurance successful choosing the close schoolhouse for their child".

On Thursday, the National Education Union volition present a petition to the Department for Education, successful Westminster.

It volition telephone connected the authorities to regenerate Ofsted and enactment with teachers to "develop an accountability strategy which commands the spot and assurance of acquisition staff, arsenic good arsenic parents and voters".

The unit astatine Katesgrove anticipation their actions volition not impact the result of immoderate inspection.

Mrs N'Jai said: "We volition prosecute successful the process and we volition bash our precise champion but with the knowing that we volition beryllium showing however we consciousness astir it."