Ofsted faces questions over whether it properly followed-up concerns about a leading academy’s behaviour policies, after a safeguarding review found it used “isolating, shaming” practices on pupils.
The watchdog’s “growing emphasis on behaviour” has “incentivised schools to adopt stricter policies”, said Sir Alan Wood, who investigated “widespread concerns regarding the implementation of the behaviour policy” at the Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy, in Hackney.
Sector leaders described the probe’s findings as a “wake-up call” for the government over the use of strict behaviour policies in schools. The government called the case “deeply concerning”.
However, the Department for Education’s behaviour ambassador has dismissed the review, accusing it of relying “on a methodology that would shame a fortune-teller”.
‘Isolating, shaming, humiliating’
Victoria Park is part of the Mossbourne Federation, the trust originally run by former Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw.
In 2024, the school ranked seventh in the country for its progress 8 score. It was rated ‘outstanding’ in all areas by Ofsted in 2023.
However, the review found the school’s success had been “achieved at too high a cost for some pupils”.
“Shouting” was used at Victoria Park “in a manner that humiliates and intimidates pupils”.
Children were also placed on desks in corridors outside the rooms of senior teachers “as a punishment for minor infractions”, a practice Wood described as “isolating, shaming, and educationally unproductive”.
‘Wake-up call’
A former student “recounted having a panic attack while on a ‘time-out desk’”. Others “mentioned instances of self-harm and suicidal ideation directly related to the school’s disciplinary regime”.
Among other things, the school was told by Wood to “prohibit the use of any public reprimand, action, or sanction that has a primary function to draw negative attention to a pupil for the purpose of shaming them”.
Liz Robinson, chief executive of the Big Education Trust, said such policies come “from an obsessive focus on … standardised test or exam outcomes”, and “an explicit narrowing of what schools are for”.
“What happened at Mossbourne is a logical, rational extension of the incentives in the system. It should be a wake-up call for politicians to look at this.”
Ofsted ‘weakness’
The report detailed how Ofsted found fixed-term exclusions at the school “were very high, particularly affecting pupils of black Caribbean heritage and disadvantaged pupils” in 2016.
Victoria Park’s behaviour support unit – an internal facility that manages students who have been removed from lessons – was “used extensively”, with some children “spending lengthy periods there with limited opportunities for reflection or learning support”.
Wood said reports produced following the inspectorate’s next visits in 2021 and 2023 – when it was rated ‘outstanding’ – “neither explicitly reference or assess whether the…concerns had been resolved”.
Ofsted told the review it “would have raised issues about behaviour with the school’s leadership”. Despite this, Wood stressed “some of the issues” flagged “seem not to have been fully resolved”.
Former senior inspector Frank Norris said this would undermine confidence in the watchdog, adding: “Most people would expect inspectors to evaluate the progress made since the previous inspection.”
‘Incentivised’ by Ofsted
Wood said the review “has national implications”. He noted a “perceived rise in classroom disruption, combined with political and media pressure for higher academic standards, has led many schools to adopt strict behaviour policies”.
Ofsted’s “growing emphasis on behaviour in its inspection framework” has “incentivised schools to adopt stricter policies”.
“The ‘no excuses’ model, when implemented rigidly without adequate safeguards, can become one of ‘zero tolerance’ that causes serious harm to vulnerable pupils,” the report added. Ofsted told Schools Week it did not comment on individual school inspections.
Findings challenged
Tom Bennett – the previous government’s behaviour tsar and current government’s behaviour and attendance hubs ambassador – branded the review “staggeringly weak [and] biased”, claiming it “relies on a methodology that would shame a fortune-teller”.
Defending the school, he said it “gets fantastic results for its children” and “is, by many accounts, a brilliant place to be”.
When asked about Bennett’s criticisms, Wood said it was “obvious he’s not read the report or its appendices. The bulk of the report talks about issues which are well evidenced.”
Bennett’s views also appear to differ to those of the DfE, which called the investigation’s findings “serious and deeply concerning”.
A department spokesperson said it “will continue to engage with the trust to ensure that it implements the changes needed”.
Mossbourne did not respond to requests for comment. However, in a letter sent to parents, Victoria Park principal Matthew Toothe stressed the academy “has and is taking the review seriously”.
He does not believe parents “will agree with…[its] conclusions” as if they did, they “would not entrust [their] children to our care on a daily basis”.
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