Sheffield schools: Complaints against Ofsted for inspections quadruple in a year

Dozens of complaints about Ofsted inspections in Sheffield have been dealt with since 2020, new figures show.

New data shows hundreds of complaints were logged across England about the conduct of Ofsted inspectors last year – with a union for school leaders warning the inspectorate may have "lost the trust of the profession".

Figures show 28 complaints were recorded about Ofsted inspections from providers in Sheffield over the three years to March 2023 – 20 of which were registered last year.

Ofsted's inspection process has come under greater scrutiny in the past year, following the suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry. In December a coroner ruled an inspection "likely contributed" to her death, after her school was downgraded from the highest to the lowest rating over safeguarding concerns.

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Of the 1,199 complaints about Ofsted across the country last year, 502 included concerns regarding the behaviour of inspectors.

In Sheffield, 14 such complaints were dealt with over a three-year period.

While it's not suggested any or all of them put in formal complaints, The Star has spoken to several nurseries in Sheffield in the past two years who had grievances with how their inspections were carried out.

Recently, Sunshine Pre-School, in Lewis Road, earned back its 'Good' rating six months on from being graded 'Inadequate'. Owner Kelly Wright called 2023 inspection "unfair."

Staff at Just For Kidz Mosborough voiced their displeasure when they were rated 'Inadequate' by the same inspector in January 2023, before they were upgraded to 'Good' six months later by a different inspector.

Another was Bole Hill Nursery, which was widely supported by its parents following an 'Inadequate' report in December 2022, before it was raised up to 'good' again in May 2023.

Meanwhile, parents rallied behind Hackenthorpe Hall Nursery following the new report, with The Star receiving 20 glowing endorsements of the setting. It was upgraded to 'Good' again in February, with manager Emma Brown calling the 'Inadequate' report "a smack in the face" and whose complaints were accepted by a recently-published Parliamentary Enquiry.

Ofsted is responsible for inspecting various educational and childcare settings, such as schools, early years and social care providers.

The Association of School and College Leaders said the large number of complaints "strongly suggests Ofsted has lost the trust of the profession".

Last year, the number of complaints rose as inspections returned to pre-pandemic levels – with one complaint for every 40 inspections.

Tom Middlehurst, inspection specialist at the ASCL, said it was "particularly concerning" so many complaints were about the conduct of inspectors.

He hopes recent mental health training and a more supportive approach from the chief inspector could bring the number of these complaints down.

In January the House of Commons Education Committee recommended Ofsted conduct an in-depth review of its complaints process, after hearing evidence the inspectorate was "marking its own homework".

The committee further heard evidence from school staff that the workload required to prepare for inspections can feel "crushing" and "relentless".

Just 18 complaints were fully upheld last year across England.

However, Ofsted was found to be partially in the wrong in 263 cases. Of these, two were for complaints made in Sheffield.

NAHT, a union for school leaders, said it welcomed measures to improve the complaints process last year – but it would still like to see an independent body handling them.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the union, said: "More broadly, fundamental reform of the way Ofsted operates is urgently needed to improve the reliability and usefulness of inspections, while reducing the unacceptable toll on the wellbeing and mental health of leaders and teachers."

An Ofsted spokesperson said: "We want to make sure that our work is always carried out with professionalism, courtesy, empathy and respect. In the vast majority of cases it is – but we take all complaints very seriously.

"We understand that some have found our complaints process difficult to navigate, so we recently introduced a new, more transparent process, including the option for leaders to call a senior person at Ofsted if they have any concerns during their inspection. We consulted on these measures and they were strongly supported by the sectors we inspect."

Ofsted said it will respond to the Education Committee's findings in the coming weeks.