Solving the Ofsted Problem

The Problem

I cried when I ready about Ruth Perry, the headteacher who took her own life. I've sat with many headteachers in coaching sessions while they wrestle with the anxiety, pain, fear and anger of inspection - either its anticipation or aftermath. The weekly expectation of 'the call'; the powerlessness during a visit; the humiliation of the mock transparency pantomime in which, voiceless, they observe their school's critique. As a professional with duty of care to my clients, I am on watch, I am vigilant, I am worried. I need to be part of an education system that is better, far better than its worst feature.

Research (Cohen, 2018) indicates that the vast majority of Ofsted inspections are respectful, positive and even helpful events. Educators are held to account for how they prepare children for their futures. We might grumble about the current framework incarnation or that they 'missed the best bits', but by and large, inspections are satisfactory, and administered by fellow professionals who care and are called to that kind of work.

But when they are not the consequences are disproportionate. I know. As an executive coach I help pick up the pieces after it's happened. Depression, disillusionment, powerlessness, fury - all detracting from the mission of leading a school. The social contract here is asymmetric. Headteachers have skin in the game. They are directly and personally exposed to the risks of their leadership. Ofsted have no skin in the game. There is no risk to them from the grade they give.

A Solution

I was about to begin a joint presentation to school leaders. I'd just met my co-presenter in the flesh, though we'd already planned the input online. Just before we went on, she turned to me and said, 'You do realise that 10% of the audience will dislike you immediately.' After the initial surprise/shock, the learning arrived. And the freedom. Of course they will. And 10% will instantly like me. The rest will probably give me the time of day and wait to hear my message. But from that moment on, I no longer needed or expected or even wanted everyone to 'like' me. That's the way we humans are, a Bell curve of mutual appreciation.

But, the point is, this woman had an interesting job. Organisations paid her to train them in a very specific aspect of interviewing candidates: to identify the features of potential sociopathic or psychopathic behaviour. Far better to stump up her no doubt generous fee than employ harm. I'm going back into my email archive today. I want to find her details and get in touch. I have a job for her.

  1. I want her to help remove the very very tiny minority of Ofsted inspectors who should not be doing the job. The ones who in the hubris of toxic entitlement diminish the whole organization, its function and the vast majority of good people in it.
  2. I want her guidance in making a guarantee that schools who are being inspected can be confident that their guests will come with the emotional maturity and psychological self awareness to enrich rather than diminish the school and its leaders.
  3. I want her advice on detoxifying the whole inspection process, designing out the parts that damage other people, and designing in features that enrich lives.

If you know who she is or someone who can help - please let me know.

I pray that my tears for Ruth Perry will be the last of their kind that I need to shed.