The tragedy at Caversham Primary School has brought Ofsted’s methods under the spotlight. The House of Commons Education Select Committee has launched its own investigation, amid widespread calls for reform. The organisation’s insistence that it has made changes have been met with a chorus of disapproval for the decision to steadfastly stick to the one-word judgement that all schools and colleges dread.
The education experts have all had their say, for and against, but from a marketing perspective this stubborn defence of the one-word grade is just outdated.
Ofsted says it gives consumers, prospective parents and students, the clarity they need to make a judgement about an educational institution’s strengths. But it’s not clarity; it’s actually terribly imprecise and vague. Imagine a guide book to the universe, where the entry describing the kind of planet earth was, simply read, “blue.” Today’s consumers are looking for nuance and texture, and more than anything they rely on reviews.
Compare with the travel sector. When people visit a travel agent, they no longer ask for a four star or five-star hotel in the way they once did. What’s the beach like? Is there a spa? Are there kids’ clubs? Do you have a family-run taverna, where a more authentic local experience can be had? And what do other people say about the place?
