Ofsted stands accused of being “unaccountable to anyone but themselves” after it emerged scrutiny panels that oversee how it handles complaints about inspections have been suspended.
The panels, which crucially include a sector representative who does not work for Ofsted, check the “robustness” of how complaints are handled at the internal review stage.
Introduced in 2015, Ofsted said the “independent scrutiny” would make the complaints process “more transparent, fair and fully objective”.
But the panels have been paused as Ofsted reviews how it deals with complaints. Schools Week revealed last month a review had been launched after the watchdog admitted its complaints policy was “not working”.
