Many of you will be aware of the tragic death by suicide of our colleague Ruth Perry, headteacher.  The Government and Ofsted argue that the current way schools are graded: outstanding; good; requires improvement or inadequate,  is designed to help parents and students understand the school's quality of education.  As we discovered, some parents of children at Ruth Perry's school obviously disagree:

So, to introduce ourselves: We represent colleagues across the school system who think it is now time for teachers and headteachers to start taking action to change how our schools are judged. 

We have been closely following the media and social media over the last seven weeks or so, and yes, there have been fits and starts of coverage, lots of outrage and some useful pockets of action, but the response from Ofsted, the Government and other political parties have been woefully inadequate. If they are not going to respond to Ruth's grieving sister demanding change, over 3000 teaching colleagues and, latterly, nearly 400 headteachers, all sharing their negative stories of Ofsted, who are they going to respond to? They just keep coming back with the same response, "The current grading system is designed to help parents and students understand the school's quality of education."

How can a one or two-word grade ever describe the quality of your childs' education?

When talking to parents, those with primary school children overwhelmingly expressed that they do not rely on the Ofsted report when choosing a primary school. Their priority is for their child to attend a school in their local community, fostering friendships with peers from the area. Most parents emphasised the importance of their child's well-being and happiness at school, assuming that all schools strive for quality education. They showed limited interest in KS2 SATs results, primarily due to a lack of understanding. Instead, primary parents expressed a keen interest in wrap-around care services, including breakfast and afterschool clubs, as well as lunchtime activities beyond academics. They preferred receiving this information directly from the school through ongoing meetings and discussions with teachers, seeking a more personalised approach.

Secondary parents demonstrated a similar indifference towards the Ofsted report. They rely on their child's opinion and consider the school's website, particularly focusing on success indicators beyond GCSE results. Parents showed interest in extracurricular activities, especially those aligned with their child's special interests. Uniform affordability and requirements were also a factor considered during school selection. Overall, secondary parents expressed the need for clear and direct communication, emphasising the importance of personalized approaches that address their child's individual needs and interests.

It is for the entire school community  to start taking action to change things for ourselves in our schools. We cannot afford to wait for Ofsted or the Government. There are things that we can literally start doing today that will start to change the culture and make a difference.  Let's give it a go!

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.  We hope we can count on your support to help us start to improve the way schools are judged in this country for the benefit of our teaching colleagues and, just as importantly, for you and your children. 

With warm regards,

The #LearningFirst community