Early years leaders praise Ofsted plans for complaints procedure reform

The proposal was included in a consultation on Ofsted’s complaints process launched in July.

The new plan would allow education settings and children’s services departments to contact “an experienced inspector who is independent of the inspection” on the day after an inspection has finished.

“Where appropriate, this inspector may contact the lead inspector to help understand the context of any issues raised,” the consultation document states.

• Interview: Lord Jim Knight, chair of an independent review of Ofsted

• Inspections Clinic: Changes to school inspections

Of the 1,576 respondents to the consultation, 65 per cent strongly agreed with the recommendation including 73 per cent of 394 respondents from the early years sector, 62 per cent of 934 respondents from schools and 79 per cent of 99 social care respondents.

Stella Ziolkowski, director of quality and training at the National Day Nurseries Association, said: “The new opportunity for providers to contact Ofsted to raise questions or concerns post-inspection is welcome.  We receive many calls from our nursery members who are unhappy at how their inspections have been conducted or with how they and their staff are treated by inspectors. While not everybody’s inspections experiences are bad, it’s important that Ofsted complaints processes are fit for purpose to support those providers who feel they have been treated unfairly.”

Other proposals to be taken forward by Ofsted following the consultation include enhancing “on-site professional dialogue during inspections to help address any issues”.

Overall 56 per cent of respondents strongly agreed with the proposal.

The document states: “Although most respondents supported this proposal, some highlighted concerns about inconsistency in the inspection process based on their own experiences. They stated that it was sometimes difficult to challenge the views of an inspector or inspection team, or that their comments were disregarded. 

“We have considered all responses and we are pleased that there has been broad support for this proposal. Effective communication is crucial to successful inspections.”

A recommendation for reforms to the way reports are finalised and challenged will also be taken forward alongside the removal of Ofsted’s internal investigation process and introduction of direct escalation to the Independent Complaints Adjudication Service for Ofsted.

“We believe that removing the current internal review process will reduce the burden on providers raising concerns. We are pleased that this has been supported through the consultation. We also welcome support for the new panels and the independent scrutiny that these will bring,” the report states.

The consultation response comes following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry who took her own life after her school was handed an “inadequate” rating. This has now been uplifted to “good”.

An inquest into her death opened at Berkshire Coroner’s Court today (28 November).

Ofsted is expected to give evidence at the inquest, during which Coroner Heidi Connor told the court that Ofsted's rating of Caversham Primary School “is not something which falls within the scope of this inquest”.

However, she added that she will require a “clear understanding” of the grading system to understand its impact on the headteacher as part of proceedings.