Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I called the warranty company and was told I would be reimbursed as I had a free 30 day revue. Your email address will not be published. Also, it may be that the headteacher is privy to information that you are not aware of which might affect the validity of a complaint. Caroline Derbyshire, chair of the Headteachers Roundtable, welcomed a review but said this should be shared with everyone else in the profession. Under the current arrangements, schools normally get one working day. No wonder there are complaints when the composition of inspection teams takes no account of understanding what should be fundamental in assigning inspectors to teams, being able to make judgements about vocational skills development as part of the impact of the quality of education should be a minimum expectation of their inspection for every provider in planning, not a rarity. Trust leaders said a resulting over-focus on comments made during the student voice part of inspections particularly relating to behaviour and derogatory language issues were being given too much weight in final judgments. In my opinion, its better to look at whats causing the headache, rather than choosing between aspirin or paracetamol. They admitted the complaints process was not working, both for schools and the inspectorate. Ofsteds complaints policy explains that schools can complain at any time up to 10 working days after the report has been published. Ofsted's annual report has revealed an increasing number of complaints are being upheld than they were previously. Make a formal complaint to the school. Just 17 per cent of 718 complaints closed in the 2021/22 academic year had aspects upheld. A poor quality inspection can in itself be a stressful experience. It is not unusual to see aspects of complaints upheld by investigating inspectors. Well I found out the $99.00 was taken off my credit card! This is to ensure inspectors know the framework should not be taken verbatim, leaders were told, and that inspectors must not leap to snap judgments that any such issues are endemic in the school or provider. Copyright 2023 Tes Global Ltd is registered in England (Company No 02017289) with its registered office at Building 3, Just 17 per cent of 718 complaints closed in the 2021-22 academic year had aspects upheld. Figures from the watchdog also show there were 890 complaints about inspections in 2019-20, up from 662 complaints a year earlier, https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/proportion-ofsted-inspections-complaints-39, Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content, Councils hit out at government breach of trust over teacher pay, Proposed Northern Ireland cuts condemned as catastrophic, No progress made on teacher pay after union crunch talks, Strikes: Schools told to take all reasonable steps to stay open, Teacher strikes Q&A: everything you need to know, Teachers to strike in England from next month, Gibb: Schools can use pupil premium to offer more free meals, Strikes: Heads may have no choice but to close schools, Watchdog to change how it handles complaints, School leaders union calls for independent panel to review Ofsted complaints, Ofsted looking to review complaints process. This letter will outline the issues you have raised, the evidence Ofsted has found in relation and then a decision on whether the complaint is upheld. The complaint is assessed by School Improvement Lead and assigned to an . They want you to do it. Ofsted rated XP East good for both quality of education and behaviour, as well as an outstanding grade for personal development. To complain about a childcare provider, get in touch with us at enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk or 0300 123 4666. I am still working and was not suspended as Inspector found my practice to be good and kids are really happy. Trust leaders said a resulting over-focus on comments made during the pupil voice part of inspections particularly relating to behaviour and derogatory language were given too much weight in final judgments. She is not a sales person and she was very helpful and considerate and I thank her. National Education Union general secretary Dr Mary Bousted warned that reinspecting the school "undermines" the complaints process. If you are not the headteacher, that does not mean you cannot have concerns about the inspection, it just means you should share them with your line manager or the headteacher so that they can speak to, or write to, the inspectors on behalf of the school, if necessary. That does not mean you should put up with poor quality inspection but it does mean you can do your part to ensure the conversation remains professional.Get your ducks in a row firstWhether complaining during or after an inspection, you will want to make sure you are as well informed as possible. During the 2020-21 academic year, Ofsted "upheld or partially upheld" just a quarter of complaints lodged. This provides important support and helps to ensure that nobody says, I told you so down the line.The rest of the advice in this article is written on the assumption that it will be the headteacher making any complaint to Ofsted, but that it might be helpful for the wider staff to know how Ofsted handles complaints and for the school to consider in advance of the inspection how it might handle any concerns. Please volunteer to update this record. Required fields are marked *. Following an investigation, Ofsted upheld three of the seven complaints, as Mr Evans also explained in an exclusive expert article. Ofsted officials are now reviewing policy to see how it can be improved. In fact, Ofsteds online complaints portal asks you to structure your complaint into specific sections: conduct, judgement and process. Whether complaining during or after an inspection, you will want to make sure you are as well informed as possible. Large trust leaders heard from Ofsted officials Chris Jones and Lee Owston on Tuesday before the pair spoke again to about 400 CST members at meeting on Wednesday. St Pauls Place, Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 2JE. Ofsted senior leaders have admitted its complaints policy is not working and will be reviewed. - Local Childminder Chat, Childminding Events & Groups, Local Childminder Chat, Childminding Events, Groups & Coordinators, Advertise your Vacancies with Childcare.co.uk, Free Childminder Public Liability Insurance, Food Safety & Hygiene including Certificate, Advanced Post Thanks / Like v3.6.1 (Lite). You can read two more articles on Tes for free this month if you register using the button below. The meeting followed the CST last year sharing its concerns about inspections. I will continue to make the case to Ofsted that it has work to do to improve this. The inspectorates annual report said that the consultation has been extended because of the Covid-19 outbreak. Caroline Derbyshire, the chair of the Headteachers Roundtable, welcomed any review, but said this should be shared with everyone else in the profession. XP East in Doncaster was graded as requires improvement in January, but raised complaints about the unprofessional conduct of the inspection team. The comments were made during a meeting with members of the Confederation of School Trusts. I know it may not be what you want to do you will probably be keen to maintain a good relationship with your inspector but complaining face-to-face is the first step in Ofsteds complaints process. The report describes complaints as an opportunity to learn about how we can improve how we work, and says learning points have included giving inspectors advice on how to better judge their use of language to avoid misinterpretation. BBB is here to help. BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes. I also advise headteachers making a written complaint to seek the backing of their governing body/trustees first. It is perhaps unsurprising that most complaints come from schools which have been judged requires improvement or inadequate after all these are the schools where the stakes of inspection tend to be highest. Alternatively, you can subscribe for just 1 per month for the next three months and get: You can subscribe for just 1 per month for the next three months and get: Subscribe for just 1 per month for the next 3 months to get unlimited access to all Tes magazine content. In fact, Ofsteds online complaints portal asks you to structure your complaint into specific sections: conduct, judgement and process.For example, a complaint about a rude inspector (there are not many of these but some are out there) would be a complaint specifically about conduct.A concern about an inspector not having followed the deep dive methodology correctly would be about process although it might blur into judgement too if the result was what you consider to be an unfair judgement.Dont wait until the inspection is overI know it may not be what you want to do you will probably be keen to maintain a good relationship with your inspector but complaining face-to-face is the first step in Ofsteds complaints process. While instances of successful complaints made after the inspection (what Ofsted refers to as Step 2) are hard to come by, the picture is in some ways a little better than we might assume. Stephen Rollett explains how school leaders can complain about an inspection, both during the visit or after the fact, Complaining about an inspection, especially one that is still in progress, can be daunting, but you and your school deserve a high-quality inspection. Learning and Skills Events Consultancy and Training, c/o Mindspace You need to register with us before you can post. OpenPolice.org is an independent project developed by Learning and Skills Events Consultancy and Training, c/o Mindspace department's complaint policies and procedures. Schools Week understands the NAHT school leaders union was also informed of the changes. We also make every effort to engage with people from the sectors we inspect and act on their feedback where we can.. I asked for an email and she provided one Next she said she is not affikiated with the auto warranty bht assured me the policy was cancelled. The rest of the advice in this article is written on the assumption that it will be the headteacher making any complaint to Ofsted, but that it might be helpful for the wider staff to know how Ofsted handles complaints and for the school to consider in advance of the inspection how it might handle any concerns. So, what if your experience does not go as you would like? A Delta spokesperson said that experienced leaders from schools across the country form part of the inspection workforce and during the inspection the team was joined by a very senior HMI as part of Ofsteds quality assurance process. Watchdog guidance states inspectors are expected to declare all actual and perceived conflicts of interest and have no real or perceived connection with the provider. 03-09-2008, 01:13 PM. Forum Member Competitions - Free to enter! And just under a third (32 per cent) of the 175 complaints that reached the third stage of the process were fully or partially upheld in 2017-18, compared to 26 per cent in the previous year. What changes will be implemented? It seems to me that Ofsted are seeking to be even less accountable than they already are. Just 17 per cent of 718 complaints closed in the 2021-22 academic year had aspects upheld. It is well worth joining us, there is so much more once inside. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The policy and process hasnt changed but suddenly its no longer fit for purpose! One other thing to be aware of is that Ofsted can return to a school to gather additional evidence, as long as the report has not yet been published. Looking forward to welcoming you as a member! The policy was with ********** and I called the company immediately speaking to another saleaman who told me there was a glitch in the system but I could be rest assured the policy was bumper to bumper. The free school is part of the XP School Trust, famous for pioneering an alternative method of education focused on creativity as well as academic progress. If you complain, we will review the information you provide and decide what to do. Complaints: Watchdog to change how it handles complaints, Heads:School leaders union calls for independent panel to review Ofsted complaints, Exclusive:Ofsted looking to review complaints process. The comments were made during a meeting with members of the Confederation of School Trusts. This is because they would prefer to resolve the issue during the inspection than have it rumble on afterwards. Looking forward to welcoming you as a member! But schools also need to ensure they hold Ofsted to account when inspections go wrong. Essentially, the right person to raise the complaint with Ofsted is usually the headteacher. As a result of investigations, Ofsted changed the overall effectiveness judgement for 12 inspection reports and decided that 13 inspections were incomplete, leading to inspectors carrying out a further visit to gather additional evidence. Hollobone was due to meet Amanda Spielman, Ofsteds chief inspector, this week to discuss the concerns. Also, it may be that the headteacher is privy to information that you are not aware of which might affect the validity of a complaint. ROCKFORD A steady flow of longtime customers offering hugs and support were on hand Friday at Pinnon Meats. You do not have to suffer in silence.Stephen Rollett is curriculum and inspection specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders.Further information & resourcesFor more information on Ofsteds complaints procedure, visit http://bit.ly/2U4p8cA. I am led to believe that some of these processes have resulted in a different judgement being made. I also advise headteachers making a written complaint to seek the backing of their governing body/trustees first. Please view our Terms and Conditions before leaving a comment. Some of the letters to providers that outline reasons for not upholding complaints are frankly unbelievable. But schools judged good are able to complain about their inspection or inspector too if they have concerns.Be clear about the complaintIt is helpful for you and for Ofsted if you can be as clear as possible about the cause of your concern. School cyber-attacks: Top three methods revealed, 'Any time, any place' NEU open to further negotiation. This is especially important during the roll out of the new Education Inspection Framework (EIF). It is well worth joining us, there is so much more once inside. (i do not want any money, just scare her a bit). *In Canada, trademark(s) of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, used under License. This followed a record high of 26 per cent out of 320 complaints closed in the previous year, but this was heavily impacted by Covid. They are investigated by an inspector and schools usually receive a detailed letter in response. They are all treated in the same way. I know this has been going on atleast since August, but I believe prior d/t my mother telling me she was being charged and didn't know why. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Become a subscriber and stay up to date with the latest breaking news and industry discussion. Contact the school to discuss the problem first - most problems can be solved this way. A spokesperson for Ofsted said: The landscape in which inspectors and school leaders work is always evolving, which is why we run a continuous training programme for all our inspectors. 'A sticking plaster' DfE's 500m energy efficiencies ChatGPT: Benefits, threats & opportunities for schools, Calm leadership: Developing a sense of perspective. Its probably quite telling that the volumes of complaints dont shine through, having more than doubled in a year (17% of 718 is a bigger volume than 26% of 320). First, Ofsted does take Step 2 complaints seriously. Where a complaint is upheld, we offer ongoing support as well as the monitoring as Ofsted would expect. To view the whole Forum and member areas you must register first. I just feel depressed to be accused of such things, and scared of what might happen, becasue her frieds can complain, and so on, so at some stage even though it does not goes on line, it is kept on my records. Then use the information below to submit a formal complaint to the Chesterfield Police Department. Officials have been asked to make the process more human and less bureaucratic, Schools Week understands. Trust bosses have said that some inspectors made over-zealous judgments based on some pupils derogatory language or behaviour issues during inspections. When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints. Ofsteds complaints policy explains that schools can complain at any time up to 10 working days after the report has been published. For example, a complaint about a rude inspector (there are not many of these but some are out there) would be a complaint specifically about conduct. The inspection was led by an inspector employed by the nearby Delta Academies Trust, just one week after XPs chief executive hit out at neighbouring schools for excluding pupils and creating problems in our town. Trust leaders were told new training called seeing the big picture started last week. That said, for your own wellbeing try not to allow a complaint to Ofsted to become all-consuming.Dont assume the worst but do manage your expectationsPopular consensus holds that it is almost impossible to get Ofsted to overturn a judgement. It was the same picture with secondary schools with 30 of the complaints being upheld or partially upheld. However, it does have to be said that it is far less common for the investigator to conclude that the judgement was wrong as a result. Call OFSTED yourself and explain the situation: that you are taking a parent to court and they have threatened to report you. 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