A new schools inspection system is needed which prioritises the wellbeing of teaching staff and schoolchildren, the sister of headteacher, Ruth Perry, who took her own life has said.
News
School inspections take toll on teachers’ mental health, finds report
By
on 17 November 2023
Professor Julia Waters called for “radical reform” of what she called Ofsted’s “punitive and fatally-flawed school inspection system” after a damning report revealed how inspections are harming staff mental health.
Education Support surveyed over 3,000 education staff for its seventh Teacher Wellbeing Index during 2023. 75 per cent of schoolteachers and 82 per cent of senior leaders said that inspections negatively impacted their mental health and wellbeing. 73 per cent believed they were not fit for purpose.
82 per cent of senior leaders said that inspections negatively impacted their mental health and wellbeing. Photograph: iStock
Over a third of teachers (36 per cent) are experiencing burnout – up by 9 per cent on 2022 figures. Forty-six per cent of senior leaders said they had felt tearful, 37 per cent suffered recurring headaches and 17 per cent had had panic attacks in the past year.
Ruth Perry took her own life in January after being told the school where she was headteacher was being downgraded from outstanding to inadequate.
Her family believes stress associated with the inspection was a major factor in her death.
Perry's sister, Professor Julia Waters, said: “Ruth was not the first headteacher or teacher to take her own life following an Ofsted inspection. I am determined that she will be the last.
“That 82% of senior leaders state that inspections have a negative impact on their mental health and wellbeing is a shocking indictment of long-standing government inaction to address this important concern.”
Sinéad Mc Brearty, Chief Executive of Education Support commented: “These are not findings that anyone wants to see. Our education workforce is stressed and unhappy at work. Such high levels of burnout, overwork and loneliness will not lead to a world class education system.
"Children and young people need to be surrounded by energised and committed teachers to give them the best chances in life. Instead, the reality of working life in education is causing talented educators to leave the profession in their droves. We can and must do better," she added.
Read the full teacher wellbeing index 2023 here
NEWS
Employers urged to listen to staff when designing workplace wellbeing strategies
By Kerry Reals on 26 April 2024
Conversation is king when it comes to implementing effective workplace wellbeing strategies, a panel of experts told a recent conference organised and hosted by British Safety Council.
Climate change could expose 70 per cent of workers to health risks, warns UN
By Kerry Reals on 22 April 2024
More than 70 per cent of the global workforce could be exposed to serious health hazards because of climate change, and existing occupational health and safety legislation may not be sufficient to protect workers, according to a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Calls for wellbeing focus intensify as UK economic inactivity rate rises further
By Kerry Reals on 16 April 2024
The number of working-age people in the UK who are neither employed nor looking for a job rose again in the December to February period, prompting calls for more investment in training and a greater focus on the health and wellbeing of the nation.