By Gavin Mackintosh-
UK education watchdog, Ofsted investigated less than 1% of the 15,000 complaints from parents about schools, it has been revealed.
The inspectorate published its statistics today, highlighting the low response to investigation of complaints by parents in the UK. The complaints after the pandemic has raised concerns among stakeholders about the effectiveness of the complaints process.
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Ofsted confirmed that it received 14,900 complaints about schools this year, according to its annual report and accounts.
In 2018-19, a total of 12,200 complaints were made to Ofsted about schools
Ofsted admitted it retained the information from around 1,530 complaints for the next scheduled school inspection “so the issues can be taken into account”.
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The education inspectorate carried out immediate inspections in only 76 cases less than 1 per cent of complaints.
It concluded that 11,400 complaints did not qualify for investigation. The remaining are still classed as “open”.
Less than 1 per cent of complaints led to follow-up inspections, with more than two-thirds of complaints deemed to not warrant further investigation.
Ofsted arrogantly declined to highlight which types of complaints did not warrant further investigation, when approached by The Eye Of Media.Com.
The low investigation rate undermines the trust and credibility of Ofsted. Parents who lodge complaints expect their concerns to be addressed seriously and promptly.
Many parents are beginning to perceive Ofsted as indifferent to their children’s well-being, leading to a lack of faith in the regulatory system.
Ofsted has been the subject of much criticism for its often unsatisfactory levels of operation. Its level of fairness have been called to question, although it on many other occasions delivered professional judgements.
The significant portion of unaddressed complaints creates a disparity between parents who manage to have their grievances investigated and those whose concerns fall through the cracks. This could lead to a perception of preferential treatment for certain schools or situations, eroding the principle of equal access to justice.
The limited investigation undertaken by Ofsted inadvertently overlooks critical issues within schools that could impact student welfare, academic performance, and overall school quality.
Critics believe these unresolved concerns could lead to persistent problems that harm students and undermine educational outcomes.
Disheartened
Many complaining parents say that when their complaints are not taken seriously, they become disheartened and disengaged from their child’s education. This lack of parental involvement can have detrimental effects on a student’s academic progress and overall well-being.
Critics say parents’ complaints can be a valuable source of feedback for schools to identify areas of improvement. When not addressed adequately, schools might miss valuable opportunities to enhance their educational practices and policies.
Many in the education sector are critical of Ofsted, and believe the education watchdog is failing to meet the expected standards of the British public in regulating schools, even though its presence helps maintain at least a minimum standard of education in most schools.
Parents still have multiple issues with schools, including lack of discipline of other pupils, unresolved issue sin schools about bullying, inefficiency of teachers in handling situations, pupils not being allowed to take books home to read, when their parents require this, and inadequate teaching in some schools.
An Ofsted inspector quit his job amid a backlash against the watchdog following the suicide of a headteacher.
In January 2020, Andy Webster, leader of Park View School in Tottenham, north London, accused ‘toxic’ and ‘inexperienced’ inspection teams of placing ‘awful pressure’ on schools.
Experience and expertise varies in many schools and also among inspectors.
Limited Resources
Some analysts also say limited resources, both in terms of staff and funding, might have hindered Ofsted’s ability to promptly investigate and address all complaints, but it is not clear whether such shortages accounts for the very low rate of response from Ofsted.
Ofsted’s conventional investigation process involves multiple steps, including gathering evidence, conducting interviews, and ensuring procedural fairness. Adopting such a thorough approach can contribute to delays in addressing all complaints.
Some complaints might be duplicative in nature, addressing similar issues in multiple schools or from multiple parents. In such cases, Ofsted might have consolidated investigations to streamline the process.
”Not every complaint may warrant a full-scale investigation. Some grievances might be based on misunderstandings or personal conflicts rather than genuine concerns about educational quality”, one secondary school female teacher said on the basis of anonymity.
Responsibility
However, Ofsted still has a responsibility either address every complaint or delegate the complaints to other bodies. At the moment it is failing, and it has a poor reputation for failing both schools and parents, she continued.
”Prioritizing complaints based on their severity and potential impact allows Ofsted to focus on issues that pose the most significant risks to students and educational standards, but it cannot justify ignoring complaints entirely. That is incompetent.
‘Ofsted is expected to consider streamlining the complaints process to ensure quicker and more efficient investigations. This could involve establishing a dedicated team with adequate resources to handle complaints promptly.
Ignoring the voices of parents and teachers has been a big problem for Ofsted.
Ruth Perry, 53, who had worked at Caversham primary school in Reading for 13 years, took her own life in January 2022 after she was informed that the school was being downgraded from outstanding to inadequate.
Her sister, Julia Waters, said Perry had described the inspection in November last year as the worst day of her life. She said Perry had been “an absolute shadow of her former self” while waiting for the report’s publication.
The jump from outstanding to inadequate should not happen in any school where the regulator is competently monitoring outstanding schools, or putting measures in place to prevent such schools from deteriorating in standard so quickly.
The flip side is whether it is Ofsted’s judgement sometimes lacking in the same manner as when it ignores complaints of parents.
Enhanced Communication
Many academics believe an effective education watchdog is expected to enhance communication with parents, acknowledging receipt of complaints and providing regular updates on the status of investigations
Transparent communication can help rebuild trust and confidence in the regulatory process, but Ofsted is failing in this respect.
Former teacher and researcher Joshua Hoopwood told The Eye Of Media.Com: ”Encouraging parental involvement and feedback can help identify and address potential issues before they escalate to formal complaints. Schools should adopt mechanisms for regular feedback from parents, fostering a culture of openness and accountability.
‘Providing training to school staff on complaint resolution and conflict management can empower them to handle grievances more effectively at the local level, reducing the number of formal complaints, but Ofsted appears to be failing in this respect.
‘Ofsted ought to conduct regular data analysis of complaints to identify patterns and systemic issues. This can help target inspections and investigations more effectively, addressing underlying problems within schools.
Transparency And Accountability
The low investigation rate of parent complaints by Ofsted after the Covid pandemic raises significant concerns about transparency, accountability, and the effectiveness of the regulatory process.
Addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach, including better resource allocation, improved communication, and a focus on resolving issues at the local level. By learning from these implications and implementing meaningful changes, Ofsted can reinforce its role as a reliable watchdog, safeguarding the interests of students and ensuring the quality of education in the UK.
The majority of complaints were about leadership and management of a school or pupils’ wellbeing.
Most qualifying complaints ) this year also contained safeguarding matters.
Ofsted said it retained the information from around 1,530 complaints for the next scheduled school inspection “so the issues can be taken into account”..
An Ofsted report which criticised the safeguarding at Ampleforth College in North published on 16 March 2022 which rated the college was said to contain ”factual inaccuracies”.
The college said the inspectorate had ignored its complaints that it got facts wrong about particular incidences contained in its report.
Ampleforth college told this publication that Ofsted eventually rectified its errors.
Ofsted’s boss Amanda Spielman has never owned up to the failings of Ofsted, but has blame school failings on a culture of fear in schools.
Progress in Ofsted must begin with the organisation acknowledging is weakness and making efforts to significantly improve.
Image: Alamy
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