Letter: Ofsted must do better

MICHAEL MCMAHON has justifiably had enough of inner-city schooling. My 14-year-old son has two years to go at our local high school, which is still reeling from a recent harsh and unfair Ofsted report. Described as a vindictive piece of writing by parents and teachers alike, the report resulted in the loss of an enthusiastic, experienced and dedicated headteacher, and months of uncertainty for staff, pupils and parents, which is not over yet.

Ofsted inspections are neither impartial nor useful to a school. We do not claim that all the teachers are excellent, but most of the pupils, most of the time, get a good education. Ofsted itself says "81 per cent of lessons are satisfactory or better".

The continued Ofsted regime of terror in our schools is doing nothing for the education of our children. In fact it is pushing more and more teachers over the brink into early retirement, ill health or, like Mr McMahon, plain resignation. When will these people at the DFEE and LEA stop talking and start listening?

RICHARD BEARMAN

Norwich