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Today in Focus

Why headteachers are fighting back against Ofsted inspections

Today in Focus

The Guardian

News, Daily News

4.65.9K Ratings

🗓️ 5 April 2023

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The death of headteacher Ruth Perry after a devastating report from schools watchdog Ofsted has prompted a growing backlash. Michelle Sheehy, headteacher of Millfield primary school in the West Midlands, explains why. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is the Guardian.

0:08.0

Today, an outcry against Offsted.

0:12.0

Why headteachers in England are fighting back against school inspections?

0:23.0

Just a quick warning before we start.

0:25.0

This episode does discuss the death of a headteacher who took her own life.

0:30.0

Please do take care while listening.

0:32.0

Or come back to this episode when you feel ready.

0:42.0

For many of us, the idea of standing up in front of a classroom of 30 or so children

0:49.0

and helping them to learn or feel inspired sounds like a full-blown anxiety dream.

0:58.0

For teachers, the reality presents a different kind of nightmare.

1:03.0

Underpaid, underappreciated, and under huge increasing pressure.

1:11.0

The death of headteacher Ruth Perry earlier this month prompted an outpouring of anger in the education sector.

1:20.0

Her tragedy has sparked a teacher's revolt.

1:23.0

Here at this school in Newbury, just a few miles from where Ruth Perry took her life,

1:28.0

staff filed out in silent solidarity.

1:33.0

According to her sister, Perry took her own life after a critical inspection of her school's leadership,

1:40.0

left her distraught and humiliated.

1:44.0

Her school was downgraded by Offsted from the highest possible rating to the lowest.

1:51.0

Following days of her and Fury, teachers and heads have claimed that Offsted,

1:57.0

the government's office for standards in education, is simply not fit for purpose.

2:02.0

This one size, this is what where children just doesn't work,

2:07.0

and I think that offsted inspectors need to be trained a little bit better in understanding

...

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