Teachers 'locking themselves in class' over safety fears, Ofsted chief warns, as schools told to 'pause' inspections
19 January 2024, 08:59
Teachers are locking themselves in classrooms and some schools have 'no-go areas' due to safety fears, Ofsted's new chief inspector has warned.
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Sir Martyn Oliver, who took over the education watchdog last year, says he has turned around 'broken schools' where students told teachers corridors "belonged to the children".
Meanwhile, teachers told LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on Friday that school corridors can be like "war zones", with some fearing for the safety.
As his first year in charge gets under way, Sir Martyn has also vowed to make sure Ofsted inspections do not negatively impact the mental health of school staff following the suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry.
Ms Perry took her own life after her school was downgraded from "outstanding" to "inadequate".
Inspections were paused for two weeks while staff were given mental health training to spot the warning signs during an inspection.
The new Ofsted boss has promised "nothing is off the table" when it comes to school inspections, though calls remain for the education watchdog to drop its one-word grading system.
Read More: New Ofsted boss says it could be 'more empathetic' as inspections pause after headteacher's suicide
“As the new chief inspector, I am determined to do everything in my power to prevent such tragedies in the futures,” Sir Martyn said.
He added: “We must carry out our role in a way that is sensitive to the pressures faced by leaders and staff, without losing our focus on children and learners.”
Perry’s sister, Prof Julia Waters, praised the reforms, labelling Ofsted's new direction "encouraging".
"Had these reforms been in place just over a year ago, perhaps my beautiful sister Ruth might still be with us today," she added.
At Ms Perry's inquest, which concluded last year, the coroner criticised the education watchdog for failing to have policies on suspending school inspections in the event of mental health crisis.
“Every inspector and every school leader must have clarity about when and how to pause inspections. We also want to give leaders confidence that a request for a pause will not affect adversely the judgments made about a school," a spokesperson for the watchdog said.
As part of its reforms, the watchdog will work with school governors, local authorities, and school trusts, in a bid to come up with ways to safeguard teachers' welfare during inspections.
Those feeling distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
