In cases including that of the Christian school which the government closed, Ofsted admitted in early May that it did not interview any pupils or parents over claims its inspectors asked children inappropriate questions about sex. This was despite the head of Ofsted claiming investigations had taken place.
The Christian Institute (CI) established this, using a Freedom of Information request, that Ofsted did not interview the pupils, parents or staff behind the complaints. Simon Calvert, the CI’s deputy director, said: ‘It defies belief that anyone could think such an inquiry could take place without speaking to those who complained, the children, parents and teachers – but this is exactly what happened.
‘It is patently clear from this Freedom of Information request that the so-called inquiry was wholly inadequate.’
Evidence to Commons’ committee
Officials from the schools watchdog were accused of asking pupils at Durham Free School (DFS) if they knew ‘how to make a baby’ and asking ten-year-olds at Grindon Hall Christian School, in Sunderland, about lesbian sex and transgender issues. It was also claimed one DFS pupil was taken into a separate room and asked whether they were a virgin.
On 28 January, Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw rejected the claims as false and told the Commons’ Education Select Committee they had been thoroughly investigated and disproved. An Ofsted spokesman said it strongly rejected claims Sir Michael had misled Parliament. ‘Ofsted did not receive formal complaints from either school until February. This was after Sir Michael had given evidence to the Education Select Committee on 28 January. In any event, we stand by our investigation. The North East regional director met with a small number of parents and the head teacher to discuss their concerns. In addition, inspectors, senior inspectors, the regional director, as well as Sir Michael Wilshaw, were involved in reviewing the evidence to ensure the inspection findings were robust.’
However, the Daily Telegraph reported on 13 January that Grindon Hall had already made a formal complaint to Ofsted, thus calling into question the factual accuracy of the statement made by the Ofsted spokesman. Personal correspondence with the Department of Education has elicited nothing further than a standard reply referring individuals to the Ofsted report for the school, the report that the school disputes in many areas in addition to the breeches of procedure that the Ofsted team are alleged to have made while conducting the inspection.
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan closed DFS at Easter and Grindon Hall was placed in special measures. Her decision-making process was called into question and threatened with a judicial review as she made statements prior to a formal review process that she intended to close the school.
Injustice has the final word?
In the week where she has been reappointed to Secretary of State for Education, it is clear that Nicky Morgan still needs to be held to account for her role in the closure of this school and her oversight of Ofsted. Although it may be too late for DFS, it isn’t too late to keep asking questions about the process which led up to the closure of this school. In the VE Day service on 10 May in Westminster Abbey, the Prime Minister took part in a service which included him assenting to working ‘for a world in which injustice never [has] the final word’. 1939–1945 was about ensuring that the ordinary person could hold a government to account and not just be dictated to, with cover ups and a dominant will deciding every matter of life large and small. It may just be a small school in Durham that has suffered an injustice, but the decision to commit large injustices always starts somewhere small.
