5.7.2000 MASS TEACHER RESIGNATION "DRIVEN BY OFSTED ERRORS" IN COMMONS DEBATE TODAY MP TO CALL FOR OFSTED REFORM AFTER CHESSINGTON SCHOOL PROVES OFSTED "GOT IT WRONG" In the Commons’ adjournment debate tonight, Kingston & Surbiton MP, Edward Davey, will call for reforms to Ofsted, following new evidence that Ofsted made serious errors in a visit to a school in his constituency. Ofsted’s mistakes led directly to all the teaching staff resigning. Although Ofsted recommended special measures for Moor Lane School, Chessington just weeks ago for not improving sufficiently, the school received its latest SATS results this week, showing a 40% improvement in Science to above national average and a 7% improvement in English to the national average. (see notes below) National press interest was sparked in this case recently when, following an Ofsted progress the whole Moor Lane School teaching staff resigned en masse, after a verbal report that the school was to be put into special measures. This report followed an inspection of just 16 lessons, after a year in which the school had been successfully implementing an Action Plan of improvements. Speaking before tonight’s Commons’ debate, Edward Davey said: "Ofsted got it wrong. That’s not just my opinion, it’s the view of parents, the view of the examiners of the SATS tests and the view of the local education authority. "Nor is it the first time Ofsted have got it wrong at Moor Lane School. Ofsted’s recommendations last April were overturned by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Schools, with senior Ofsted managers admitting that inspection report was over-critical. "I believe Ofsted needs to be made more accountable, as the Commons’ Education Select Committee argued last year. "I believe Ofsted’s short, follow-up progress inspections need to be reformed, so that serious errors are not made on the basis of inadequate information. "And I will be asking Chris Woodhead to apologise to the staff, parents and children of the school, both for Ofsted’s failures and for his own, ill-informed comments in this case." Notes |
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