Ruth Perry’s family has called on Ofsted’s chief inspector to resign immediately after it was revealed its lead inspectors will spend just 90 minutes on a briefing to address concerns raised by the headteacher’s suicide.
Julia Waters, Perry’s sister, said the “shocking” response showed that Amanda Spielman had “lost the plot” as chief inspector and should resign now ahead of her term finishing at the end of the year.
A coroner last week concluded that Ofsted’s inspection of Perry’s school contributed to her death. After the verdict Spielman announced a delay to inspections this week for training on “recognising and responding to visible signs of anxiety” during visits by the regulator.
However, an internal Ofsted memo, seen by the Guardian, shows that the “national briefing” planned for Monday will be a 90-minute online webinar and Q&A session, followed by a 30-minute regional “forum for follow-up” online meeting.
Waters told the Guardian: “I would say it is shocking, if we didn’t know what we know now about Ofsted. Ofsted is a total shambles, and its leaders are out of touch with reality.
“The Ofsted system has failed to support teachers and headteachers for years. A 90-minute webinar is better than nothing, or a single bullet point, but it is not enough to undo years of systemic and cultural problems.
“If this was Amanda Spielman trying to show she is taking action in response to a damning coroner’s conclusion, then she has clearly lost the plot as well as running out of ideas.
“She may only have a few weeks to go before she is due to hand over to her successor, but the need for reform is urgent. She should quit now and let someone else get on with it.”
