Value of school feedback tool questioned

Ofsted – the official body for inspecting schools – has launched an online questionnaire, Parent View, which allows parents and carers to give their views on their child’s school. However the National Union of Teachers claims the new system is “open to abuse”, and has questioned its purpose.

 


Ofsted says Parent View, which covers more than 3,380 schools in the south east, will help parents make important choices about their child’s education and provide information about schools to help inform priorities for inspection.

 

The questionnaire covers various topics, including quality of teaching, bullying, behaviour and levels of homework. It also asks if parents would recommend the school to other parents. It does not allow ‘free text’ comments, but invites responses to a series of closed questions.

Insight into school choices

Launching Parent View, Baroness Sally Morgan, Ofsted Chair said:

“Parents know how valuable the insight of other mums and dads can be when making choices about schools. Parent View will provide a comprehensive national platform for gathering this information. Parent View will also give parents and carers in England the opportunity to make their voice heard when it comes to the performance of their child’s school. What parents tell us through these questionnaires will be considered when making decisions about when a school should be inspected.

“Whilst parents’ views alone cannot trigger an inspection, they will provide a vital piece of the jigsaw. I hope everyone with an interest in education will welcome this innovation and that parents around the country will use Parent View to make their views count.”

‘Open to abuse’

But Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, suggested an online questionnaire was not the best line of communication between parents and teachers, and could be open to abuse.

“It's not clear why parents, who may have quite legitimate questions to which they seek answers, would choose the route of a questionnaire to express their concerns, or otherwise, about a school,” she said.

“Apart from the obvious question as to what useful purpose the questionnaire will serve, this is a system which is open to abuse. Schools could easily be targeted by parents unfairly, or even in anger, which could result in a false impression being given of the school.”

"As if there were not enough already, this will be yet another layer of accountability against which schools will be measured. It really is time that the government insisted everyone listened to what they themselves say should happen and start trusting teachers, and not put their faith in subjective measurements such as this."

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