Figures published by Ofsted show that independent Jewish schools are three times more to be rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate” than other independent schools.
Sixty-three per cent of Jewish independent schools are less than “good” with 33 per cent “inadequate”, while for all independent schools the comparative figures are 23 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. This is a quite shocking, and deeply worrying, statistic but before we do anything hasty, it is worth taking a close look at the body which has made these judgments.
I am one of 400 academics, educationalists, school leaders, governors and teachers who have signed an open letter to the schools’ watchdog, saying it needs serious reform because it has lost the trust of teachers, school management, and parents. The letter, from the campaign group Positive Ofsted Reform, will be sent to Ofsted chair Dame Christine Ryan and chief inspector Amanda Spielman.
Since it was established in 1992 Ofsted’s processes and practices have evolved over time; its remit has grown and transparency has conspicuously weakened.
In the latest education framework, for example, inspectors are required to make judgments about how well schools teach “personal development” and “equip children with the cultural capital they need to succeed in life”; there is less emphasis than previously on pupil attainment, which is relatively easy to measure. Instead, “inspectors will evaluate evidence of the impact of the curriculum”, a much less straightforward task.
Why have these changes been made? On whose authority and for what purpose? Amanda Spielman was appointed by the Secretary of State for Education but Ofsted is independent of the Department for Education. In theory, it is answerable to Parliament and Ms Spielman is directed by Ofsted’s board, but in reality there is no mechanism for Parliament to exercise any control.
The education select committee is not shy about asking pointed questions, for example whether Ofsted has an anti-faith school bias, but it can do little more than this. And as for Dame Christine, Ofsted’s chair, she recently admitted that she had spent only two days with the chief inspector in six months.
The National Audit Office has concluded that arms-length bodies such as Ofsted are “confused and incoherent” with no “consistent overarching framework” for their oversight. Paul Marshall, lead non-executive director at the Department for Education from 2013-2016 has written of both Ofsted and Ofqual: “Ironically, [they] were created to ensure that those with operational responsibility would be discrete, expert and accountable. In practice, they result in no one knowing where accountability lies at all.”
It has long been a criticism levelled at Ofsted that its judgments, which can have huge consequences for schools, teachers, parents and most of all for pupils, can seem arbitrary and subjective, dependent more on the inspection team than the school’s qualities. This becomes even more of a concern if the framework is vague and the evidence difficult to ascertain and particularly as Ofsted’s complaints process is not fit for purpose.
Since 2015 there have been more than 25,000 school inspections, generating hundreds of complaints every year and exactly four of these complaints have resulted in a change of judgment.
Last year Ofsted ran a public consultation about its complaints process but failed to make any significant improvement despite considerable public criticism. Recourse to the courts is still the only real, albeit highly expensive, way for schools to overturn bad reports.
The open letter I have signed draws attention to some of the more glaring anomalies and inconsistencies in Ofsted’s processes and practices and calls for proper oversight of Ofsted with the inspectorate genuinely accountable to Parliament.
We all want good schools for our children, and inspection is one way to help achieve this, but it cannot be right that Jewish schools are disproportionately judged to be failing, without any proper accountability or oversight of the body which has made this judgment.
John Cosgrove is a former headteacher, consultant and author. He is a signatory to the Positive Ofsted Reform campaign
pajes logo
