This issue is applicable to parents, carers, guardians and other family members. This also includes children and young people who should be able to make complaints.

For the purposes of the following description - the term parents is being used. 

The Ofsted complaints process clearly described on their website identifies parents as ‘Third Party’. 
The complaints process follows a clear internal pathway. For an external complaint  to be considered there is a requirement to first follow the internal complaints procedure. However, parents are not given a clear way to use the internal Ofsted complaints procedure. 

The website describes this:

‘We will not normally consider a complaint about an inspection (or any other action we have taken) from a third party who is not directly involved, such as a parent or other user of the service. This is because we do not explain our inspection/regulatory findings to third parties, other than by publishing our reports or outcomes. If you are a third party, you should raise any queries directly with the provider. Those directly involved in the inspection or regulatory event are best placed to explain the process, the inspectors’ findings and any action that the provider intends to take.’

The Ofsted telephone number has options to press for a variety of categories. 

Parents are categorised as ‘members of the public’ and to use option number 5. There are options to complain about providers, etc. But no option to complain about Ofsted or to complain about an Ofsted report that has been published. 

Ofsted has option 7 for ‘other callers’. Again there is no option for a parent to make a complaint about Ofsted or a report that Ofsted has published. 

Following a recent Ofsted Report publication parents are trying to complain about ableism, discrimination, bias, inaccuracies, lack of inclusion and unbalanced representation in the report. The report feels damaging to the reputation of the school and to the vulnerable children and young people who attend. The report does not appear to understand the trauma informed, specialist SEN ethos and interventions used by the school that have benefitted our children. 

We believe that parents, guardians, carers, family members and young people should be able to complain about an Ofsted Report to Ofsted and that this should be included in the Complaints Procedure.

They are excluding our voices.