Peerage for ex-Ofsted chief ‘inappropriate’ say heads

Handing a peerage to former Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman would be “inappropriate and insensitive”, a group of school leaders has said.

Spielman led Ofsted from 2017 to 2023 and was the architect of its current inspection framework in 2019.

She was chief inspector when Ruth Perry, the headteacher of a school in Reading, died in 2023. A coroner ruled later that year an Ofsted inspection had contributed to her suicide.

It was reported over the weekend that Spielman is set to join the House of Lords following a nomination from the Conservatives.

In a letter published on Monday, the Headteachers’ Roundtable and Headrest said Spielman should not receive a peerage.

They accused her of being “responsible for creating, introducing and implementing a flawed inspection framework”, which led to “unacceptably high levels of anxiety and stress”.

The coroner who presided over Perry’s inquest said the Ofsted inspection at Caversham Primary School “was at times rude and intimidating”, and parts were carried out in a way that “lacked fairness, respect and sensitivity”.

A damning review by Dame Christine Gilbert later criticised Ofsted’s response to Perry’s death as being “defensive and complacent”, while Spielman herself came under fire for staunchly defending the watchdog.

Ofsted was warned of ‘unacceptable’ pressure

The headteachers’ letter says that during Spielman’s tenure as Ofsted leader, “an alarming and increasing number of headteachers, principals, trustees, governors and other senior staff voiced their deep concern” at the way inspections were conducted and how frequently their criticisms were “rebuffed”.

The letter says that before Perry’s death in 2023 Headrest, a group set up to offer support to school leaders, wrote multiple times to Ofsted regarding “unacceptable” pressure the inspection framework placed on schools.

But it says Ofsted “on no occasion” indicated it was willing to “meaningfully address the stress and strain it was causing”.

The letter, addressed to Baroness Deech, chair of the House of Lords appointments commission and senior politicians including the prime minister and education secretary, added that under Spielman’s leadership Ofsted “lost the trust of many involved in education”.

“We thus believe the awarding of a peerage to Amanda Spielman would be inappropriate and insensitive.”

Spielman praised by Michael Gove

Ruth Perry’s sister Professor Julia Waters called the decision “a disgrace and an insult to my sister’s memory”.

She said Spielman’s legacy “is indelibly associated with my sister’s terrible, preventable death and with defending the inhumane system that led to her death”.

“She showed poor leadership and judgment, a lack of empathy and understanding of the issues, and a tendency to deflect any criticism onto others,” said Waters.

“A record like that should not be rewarded with a place in the House of Lords.”

Andrew Morrish, former headteacher and co-founder of Headrest, described the decision on X as “obscene”.

Ex-education secretary defends Spielman

Among those defending the move was former Conservative education secretary Michael Gove, who hailed her peerage as “great news”.

He described Spielman on X as “an outstanding public servant who has fought for higher standards in education and was unfairly attacked by teaching union figures for her commitment to professionalism”.

Michael Gosling, founding CEO of Trinity multi-academy trust, said on X he believes “someone who led Ofsted for six years – including during a pandemic – and made such a contribution to driving up educational standards, should be recognised for it”.

Spielman declined to comment when approached by Schools Week.