Teach Secondary Issue 14.7

Essential reading: On board this issue: Terri Bottriell-Wyse is a special school headteacher FROM THE EDITOR “Welcome… KEEP IN TOUCH! Sign up for the weekly TS newsletter at teachwire.net/ newsletter You’d have thought enough time would have passed since the establishment of Ofsted in 1992 for the regulator and the teaching profession to be fully cognisant of each other’s professional incentives and challenges by now, and aspiring to a set of mutually agreed outcomes. And yet, as shown by the lukewarm-to-hostile reception that’s greeted Ofsted’s latest education inspection framework, we’re still seeing the inspectors and the inspected engaged in what appears to be an adversarial relationship. I’ll let Adrian Lyons explain why these ‘changes’ may have been somewhat oversold and the specific reasons as to why the profession is unhappy with Ofsted’s plans (see page 21) – but it’s striking to see how, decades into this arrangement, both sides still seem to be talking past each other. Of course, new research, demographic shifts, overarching government priorities and other unforeseen developments have all prompted Ofsted to rethink what it wants schools do at one time or another. There is, however, one recent event that’s motivated this particular set of changes in a very different way to what we’ve seen previously – that being the tragic suicide of primary headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023, less than two months after an Ofsted inspection had downgraded the school she led fromOutstanding to Inadequate. Following an inquest into her death, the media reported how Perry had been personally impacted by an inspection she felt to have been antagonistic. She feared being blamed by local families and residents for lowering property values. Was worried that her school-age daughters would experience bullying. Contemplated the loss of her job, given the likelihood of that Inadequate grade prompting the school’s conversion to an academy. The picture painted is of one person being made to answer for the outcomes of a complex collective enterprise, with unimaginable pressure piled upon their shoulders, and potentially ruinous professional and personal consequences were they to be found wanting. In this light, it’s not surprising to see Ofsted’s recent talk of making inspections a ‘more collaborative experience’, while announcing its plans for school inspections to be carried out by larger teams, who will be led by experienced HMIs and subject to more robust performance monitoring. It remains to be seen whether the objections to some of Ofsted’s plans from certain groups within the profession will force yet another rethink. But whether you agree or not with the regulator’s proposed remedies for the issues that gave rise to such sorrow and anger in the wake of Ruth Perry’s death, let’s hope it’s at least a positive step towards a more meaningful, considered and sensitive dialogue between the regulator and the profession. Enjoy the issue, CallumFauser callum.fauser@theteachco.com Philip Arkinstall is a university lecturer and former head of history Nikki McGee is a trust lead for RE Christian Friday is a trust-wide maths strategy lead Rebecca Leek has been a secondary teacher, SENCo and MAT CEO Jose Sala Diaz is a head of media “Good morning, Mr HAL...” Don’t worry – the prospect of AI classroom teachers is still some way off... Past present How teachers should balance historical facts with interpretations of history 56 24 Tremor warning Why geography practitioners should be wary of the term ‘natural disasters’ 62 03 teachwire.net/secondary

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