Ofsted and government to blame!

Whilst Amanda Spielman`s concern for the "treatment of some of the UK`s disadvantaged children" is to be welcomed, it is a bit rich for her to say that the practice of "off-rolling is an invidious example" of schools losing sight of the purpose of education (Vulnerable pupils abandoned by school system, says Ofsted chief,10.12.17). It is all very well for politicians like Andrew Adonis to call for a ban on "the cancer of school expulsions", and, indeed, for your editorial to criticise schools which "manipulate admissions", but as long as both the main focus of Ofsted and the government is on examination results, and Tory governments continue to underfund state sector education, schools have hugely difficult choices to make (Champion of the deprived, 10.12.17).

      "Difficult children", and those with special needs, require urgent and careful attention, but how can schools afford the cost of such requirements? Perhaps Ms Spielman would prefer pupils with behaviour issues to sit in with the GCSE pupils, but what would her inspectors say of the lesson which was constantly interrupted, or of the school with subsequently declining results? Schools employing specialist teachers, or setting up their own referral-units, have to make sacrifices elsewhere, which often means subject like drama and dance being dropped from the curriculum, and we know what papers like the Guardian and Observer think of that (Scrapping GCSE drama from the curriculum would be madness, 02.11.14)!

      Ofsted does enjoy a "unique overview" and has the ability to "speak truth unto power"; it, and your editorials, should be placing the blame where it really lies, with the government and its failure to fund state schools and their teachers adequately!