A UNION has condemned education watchdog Ofsted after it emerged a previously “inadequate” school has gone four years without being inspected.

The rules for “fresh start” schools mean Cecil Jones Academy’s old rating was wiped away when it switched to a new academy trust because it effectively became a “new” school.

However, the Southend school has had no Ofsted inspections since changing trusts, which means parents have seen no judgment on the effectiveness of the school.

Murray Sackwild, Essex branch secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Ofsted is hugely inconsistent.

“This is one of the many reasons why we want Ofsted abolished and replaced with something much better. It’s a toxic, tarnished brand, whose time is up.

“More than any other cause, a lack of teachers joining, and staying in, teaching affects educational quality and inclusion.

“Ofsted has been in the news for all the wrong reasons – but we know the mental health and wellbeing of too many teachers and school leaders has been put under immense pressure for far too long.”

In March, headteacher Ruth Perry, 53, killed herself after an Ofsted report which downgraded Caversham Primary School, in Reading, from “outstanding” to “inadequate”.

Ms Perry was the principal of the Berkshire school for more than 12 years and following her death her sister called for Ofsted to be “destroyed”.

It followed the death in 2015 of awardwinning headteacher Carol Woodward who hanged herself shortly after Ofsted downgraded her school, Woodford primary school near Plymouth from “good” to “inadequate”.

Mr Sackwild added: “In March, NEU members delivered our Replace Ofsted petition to the Department for Education.

“With more than 52,000 teachers, school leaders, parents and pupils having signed, it is clear the profession is speaking with one voice when we say Ofsted is not fit for purpose and must be replaced.

“This toxic inspectorate is driving school leaders and teachers out of the profession and fuelling a mental health crisis among school staff.

“Nearly 40 per cent of teachers leave the profession within ten years, citing excessive workload caused by accountability as the main reason for choosing to go. No education system can succeed whilst it haemorrhages teachers and school leaders."

New schools 'inspected in fourth of fifth year

OFSTED has moved to address the lack of inspection of previously “inadequate” school for four years.

The education watchdog says it is operating within current rules in its dealing with the Cecil Jones Academy.

A spokesman said: “When Cecil Jones transferred to the new trust in 2019 it legally became a new school and no longer carries any inspection judgment - inadequate or otherwise.

"New schools that opened before September 2020 are likely to be inspected in their fourth or fifth year of operation. So Cecil Jones Academy’s first inspection is not late and, as a new school, it was not subject to any monitoring inspections.  Decisions around academisation, re-brokering to a new academy, what constitutes a new school and legacy judgements, are made by the DfE.”

A DfE spokesman said: “The Loxford Trust has a strong record of transforming ‘inadequate’ schools to ‘good’ schools. 

“When a school transfers to a trust after intervention, it is treated like a new school and is not normally inspected within the first three years. 

“Due to the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Ofsted’s normal three-year window for inspections may be extended by an additional 18 months.”