Former headteacher forced to leave father's deathbed for Ofsted inspection
25 March 2023, 14:28
Former headteacher left father's deathbed for Ofsted inspection
A former headteacher calls for Ofsted to be "reformed", after he was forced to leave his dying father's bedside for an inspection.
In light of the death of a headteacher, who took her own life after she was informed that her school was being downgraded from outstanding to inadequate, Peter in York, revealed to Matt Frei that he was forced to leave his father's deathbed for an inspection.
Peter told Matt: "I was asked to go and be the head of another school, which was a failing school, so I said 'okay, I'll do that as well.'
"Unfortunately my dad was diagnosed with leukemia, really short notice and he was rushed into hospital. I was in hospital with my father, Ofsted phoned the school - and the school asked if the inspection could be deferred."
The former headteacher revealed that Ofsted said there was "no chance" of a deferral and that the school should "be able to run" regardless of whether the head was there or not.
Peter revealed: "The Ofsted inspection went ahead, with me having to come back from the hospital and leaving my father's deathbed. Sadly, he died a few days later.
"The consequence of that is that I've chosen to leave headship. For me, I have no problem with accountability and no problem with the notion of inspection... But really it's the inhumanity of the inspection and there is a point that a school should be able to run without a head.
"But as anybody knows, when you get an inspection you need the senior leader to be there front and centre."
Peter said:"That last week or so of being at my father's bedside is tainted by the inflexibility and inhumanity of the way that this inspection works.
"The only saving grace was that the inspectors themselves were incredibly apologetic and also very empathetic but even so it was two days that I had to be away from my father's bedside.
"It's not right, it's not fair, it's inhumane, and it needs reform."
