The Alternative Big Listen

DAMNING SURVEY REVEALS SCHOOLS HAVE COMPLETELY LOST TRUST IN OFSTED

The education sector has completely lost trust in Ofsted according to a damning report,

published today (12 July), based on the results of a survey set up by two former

government inspectors who wanted to give anyone involved in schools a voice.

Professor Colin Richards and Frank Norris MBE, both former senior HMI, created the

Alternative Big Listen (ABL) as a means of gathering responses to the questions Ofsted

had not asked in its formal consultation on its future. However, they did not foresee the

extent to which the almost 1,500 participants would be completely disillusioned with

the inspectorate regime.

The results of the ABL show that Sir Martyn Oliver, His Majesty's Chief Inspector at the

Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (HMCI) and Bridget

Philipson, MP, the new Secretary of State for Education, have a major job to restore the

profession’s faith in Ofsted.

The headlines from the ABL are stark with nine out of 10 respondents stating:

• Ofsted is no longer fit for purpose;

• Simplistic one or two word judgments should not be used to characterise the

overall effectiveness of a school;

• Inspectors do not sufficiently consider the context of a school’s local area in the

judgements they make;

• There should be moratorium on routine (not all) inspections until a fundamental

review has taken place.

Prof Colin Richards said: “The findings from the ABL reveal Ofsted has lost very

significant levels of trust and confidence from the schools’ sector and suggest that

fundamental, not piece-meal, change, is required to craft an inspection system fit for

purpose in the second quarter of the twenty-first century. This is urgent given the

parlous state of relations, indicated by the ABL survey, between Ofsted and schools.

“As an inspectorate, Ofsted relies heavily on the engagement and goodwill of those it

inspects. The judgements made by Ofsted’s inspectors can have lasting positive and

negative impacts on the institutions, services and individuals it evaluates. Much of this

work is crucially important and tellingly very few of the survey’s respondents argue that

school inspection itself should be scrapped.

Frank Norris MBE said: “The ABL offers a damning critique of Ofsted and clearly

demonstrates the amount of work the inspectorate needs to do in order to re-establish

confidence in the process. Any pollster would say that to find nine out of ten respondents agreeing on a particular subject is unusual so it is significant that on all the

key fundamental issues the ABL, found 90 per cent of participants concur.

“Many want to see radical improvements to ensure inspection is more collaborative and

responsive to the context in which schools work. They demand from Ofsted more

openness and willingness to accept weaknesses and even failings; they feel that a

heavy dose of humility is required. Many believe Ofsted has lost its way and is no longer

a reliable source of information on the effectiveness of the schools it inspects. It is

encouraging that the new Government is committed to reform of the inspectorate.

These findings indicate they are right to do so.”

The full report can be found at www.thealternativebiglisten.co.uk

The Alternative Big Listen relating to School and Post 16 Inspections

Since 1992 Ofsted has been tasked with inspecting all state-funded educational settings in England. Over thirty years on it has now become the centre of intense and often critical professional and media scrutiny.

The recently appointed chief inspector responded by commissioning a so-called “Big Listen” to gauge how much professional and public support there was for Ofsted’s current -intentions and policies. However, it did not allow respondents to judge how successful Ofsted had been in fulfilling those intentions nor did it provide a clear steer in terms of a preferred approach. 

This “Alternative Big Listen” offered an opportunity to remedy the major deficiencies by asking respondents to review Ofsted’s current and past performance. It included some of the key questions asked by Ofsted so that a comparison could be made when Ofsted's Big Listen report is published. The Alternative Big Listen had been created by several former HMI all committed to the principle of inspection but also its reform and renewal in the light of thirty or so years of experience of Ofsted. 

The Alternative Big Listen Report is published today. It enables the education profession, parents and politicians to compare Ofsted’s stated intentions with its success or otherwise in realising them. We believe it should inform the development of a more responsive future inspection system.

All press and media enquiries about the publication of The Alternative Big Listen should be made through Dave Smith at Dave.Smith55@hotmail.co.uk

FORMER SENIOR OFSTED INSPECTORS SET UP ALTERNATIVE BIG LISTEN SURVEY

Two former senior government inspectors, who believe Ofsted’s recently announced consultation avoids some of the important issues around school inspections, have set up their own survey.

Prof Colin Richards and Frank Norris MBE have created the Alternative Big Listen as a means of gathering the responses to questions Ofsted has not asked and also gather views on the overall effectiveness of the school inspection regime.

Following the tragic death of Ruth Perry, the Headteacher at Caversham Primary School and the publication of the Coroner’s Report Ofsted launched the Big Listen to gather views on inspection.

Frank Norris said: “When we completed the official survey, we were both shocked, and sadly not surprised, to see the way the questions had been couched. It was hard to disagree with the leading questions, but it was also frustrating to not be able to get to the heart of the issues. We hope the Alternative Big Listen will be a more insightful survey.

“So far, over 10k responses have been made to the official questionnaire but many have noted that some important elements of inspection are not part of the survey including the use of single word/phrase for judging effectiveness and the usefulness of current inspection reports.”

“That is why we have decided to give those involved in schools and Post 16 settings the opportunity to express their views and include a chance to comment on Ofsted’s effectiveness. This is something the Big Listen avoids.”

Colin Richards added: “We both believe in the value of inspection and although Frank and I don’t agree on all the changes needed we do believe it is important that the profession and those interested in education have the chance to comment on all aspects and not just the ones Ofsted chooses.”

Julia Waters, Ruth Perry’s sister, who is supporting the Alternative Big Listen, said: “The case for radical reform of Ofsted is overwhelming. But in order to find the right solutions to the numerous flaws in the current inspection system, it is vital that the right questions are asked. 

“Unlike the official Big Listen, the Alternative Big Listen ensures these questions are explicitly ‘on the table’. I hope the answers received send a clear message to Ofsted and the government about the direction reform must take, to ensure the reformed schools inspection system will be truly safe and fit for purpose.” 

Frank and Colin have been joined by education thinkers, leaders and other former HMI and have created an online survey that opens today (1 May) and closes on 12 June. The intention is to share openly and transparently the outcomes of the alternative survey and to do so in a way that may influence Ofsted’s response to their survey findings.

COLIN RICHARDS

Since resigning from Ofsted after a very public dispute with its chief inspector, Colin Richards  has been Honorary Professor at the University of Warwick, Visiting Professor at the Universities of Leicester and Newcastle and is currently  Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Cumbria.

Following a career in primary and university teacher education he was the first person to be seconded to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate in 1980. From 1983 to 1996 as an HMI he specialised in primary education and teacher education and held the post of Staff Inspector (Curriculum 5-16) followed by that of Staff Inspector (Primary Education) and Ofsted’s Specialist Adviser for Primary Education. 

Since leaving Ofsted he has maintained a keen but critical interest in the issues of standards, primary and secondary education, the school curriculum, governance and inspection..  He has been chair of governors of a Cumbrian secondary school which has voted twice not to seek academy status and he has been a National Leader of Governance. He is also a member of the New Visions in Education Group and tweets as @colinsparkbridg

As a critic of much (though not all) of past and present government education policy he is a frequent contributor to the national press (in particular to the Guardian, the Observer, the Independent, the New Statesman, the Times Educational Supplement and Schools Week). He treasures the epithet “an old-fashioned HMI” bestowed on him by a former chief inspector of schools who meant it as a damning criticism!