Sonia Sodha refers to Ofsted as “the regulator” (“We rely too much on Ofsted. It is a blunt tool that fails children, parents and schools”, Comment). But Ofsted is not the regulator of schools, merely the inspector. A natural question then, is who is the regulator?
The shocking answer is that in England, with the exception of allegations of serious misconduct, schools are almost completely deregulated. They are mostly managed by “non-profit” corporations called academies, which are given freedom to manage their schools with virtually no independent oversight. Complaints by parents or pupils against academy-managed schools are left to the academy itself to oversee, and in the case of a dispute there is no recourse to an independent regulator or ombudsman; a letter from a parent to Ofsted will be met with the stock answer “we are not the regulator for schools”.
Large academies run their schools with an intense focus on the bottom line, which is driven by their Ofsted rating, and so they focus relentlessly on their reputation and league tables. The problem is not just Ofsted, but also the fact that the education system relies solely on ratings to keep academies in check. In this country we regulate broadband, but not education. This has to change.
Steve Phelps
Loughborough, Leicestershire
Thank you, Sonia Sodha, for acknowledging the importance of the headteacher in our schools and the increasing challenges they face.
I was fortunate enough to become a headteacher when a sophisticated leadership programme was in place to support new heads, Headlamp. It was led by an excellent team of advisers from our local authority. This provided support and developed leaders in a role that was radically different to their previous job of a class teacher. It enabled me to enjoy my new position, developed my confidence and gave me a vital network of support. As a result I gained a regional headteacher award. Support also came from my professional association. I learned that trust and relationships count. Twenty-five years later, I still enjoy the company of colleagues who became friends. Ofsted offered nothing. It is an expensive and pretentious body. There are better ways to improve and deliver services. Get rid of it.
Sally Bates
Cotgrave, Nottinghamshire
I taught maths in a small, rural middle school with about 100 pupils, most from farming families. Some of the boys had little interest in the three Rs, and trying to get them up to level 4 in year 6 was hard. Our SATs results were below average. We struggled to get “satisfactory” in Ofsted. The chief inspector made a telling statement as he left, however: “I’d love to send my grandchildren here.” It’s not all about results.
John Darlington
Weymouth, Dorset
Let’s hear it for the vice squad
Simon Tisdall’s premise is that the position of US vice-president “is a cemetery from which few escape with their political lives” (“Veep hunting season has opened. But Kamala Harris is in with a shot”, World Affairs Commentary). Yet I would wager there is no single position more likely to have been held by an incumbent president. There have been 45 presidents (and 46 presidencies) of the US. At a rough count, 15 of these have been former VPs and ascended either in office or in subsequent elections. In recent memory, it’s five out of the last 11 presidents who were VP beforehand (Biden, GHW Bush, Ford, Nixon, Johnson). That is why being VP is attractive. It is the best launching pad available.
Prof Matt Zepf
Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland
Being bullied? Call the union
Disturbingly often, I hear in conversation that someone subjected to bullying or other workplace problem should contact human resources (“Bullying victims don’t need more resilience. It’s time for own #MeToo moment”, Comment).
The best protection an employee has is a trade union. Simply being a member of a union and telling a manager that their union rep will be present at every discussion with management is often enough to instil a more respectful and less confrontational managerial approach. If someone is not a union member, their next port of call when faced with a problem that needs outside advice should be Acas.
Pauline Caldwell
Derby
Where cows safely graze
I am writing as a dairy farmer in response to your article “Bucolic scenes on milk bottles hide reality of life for ‘battery cows’” (News).
I am an Arla producer and our cows do graze. I am also a member of the Care programme which requires grazing. All of the Cravendale brand is made with Care milk. Therefore what is the problem with the picture of grazing cows on the Cravendale container?
On the subject of cow welfare, I have visited several “zero-grazed” herds that have very high welfare standards. The cows have good nutrition, veterinary care, spacious and well ventilated living areas and comfortable cubicles (beds).
The fact that they are usually highly productive also has the advantage of a lower carbon footprint per litre of milk. The term “battery cows” conjures up images of the old practice of keeping hens in cages. It bears no relation to the comfortable living conditions of most housed cows.
Andrew Welford
Scaling, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire
Labour: don’t forget renters
I am relaxed about Sir Keir Starmer’s stated objective (“I want Labour to be the party of home ownership”, News). Sadly, he doesn’t say anything about the millions of people in this country for whom home ownership is not, and never will be, a realistic option.
These people require two things from a future Labour government: a massive programme of council house building; and rent controls in the private sector.
I cannot help but believe that a declaration to this effect alongside his desire to help owners would enhance Labour’s prospects at the next general election, while giving hope to so many people who feel left behind.
David Millar, chair of the board of trustees, Plymouth Access to Housing
Boomers have babies too
The Observer notes that politicians across the spectrum are nervous to ask baby boomers to make financial sacrifices because of the collective electoral clout they have in Westminster (“Britain today is no country for the young”, Editorial).
Do our leaders forget that many baby boomers are the parents of twenty and thirtysomethings? The government may well want to talk about anything other than renters and the housing market but, with multi-generational adult households on the rise, do they really think baby boomers don’t notice or care?
Tom Parkin (23 years old)
Sheffield
You wait ages for a stranger…
Andy Field asks: why have we stopped talking to strangers (Magazine)? One of the simplest ways of encountering strangers is wait at a bus stop and climb aboard while sharing complaints about the state of the bus service.
Geoff Reid
Bradford
