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Amanda Spielman slams health and safety culture in schools
EB News: 07/08/2017 - 09:20
In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, the Ofsted Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman has criticised the current health and safety culture in schools.
Spielman claims over cautious practices can be harmful, and prevent children being given the chance to develop “resilience and grit”.
Offset’s Chief Inspector said she looks forward to seeing more children on school trips after September, and spoke of new training to which will ask inspectors to focus on what schools are doing to identify children potentially at risk of real harm.
Spielman wrote in the Telegraph: “My message to schools is this: keeping children safe from harm should always be your overriding concern, but in doing so, make sure you distinguish between real and imagined risk.”
”Trying to insulate your pupils from every bump, germ or bruise won't just drive you to distraction, it will short-change those pupils as well – limiting their opportunity to fully take advantage of the freedom of childhood, and to explore the world around them.“
Ofsted has shared findings from pilot inspections carried out in 115 schools this autumn, ahead of the full rollout of its renewed inspection framework.
The TV, radio and multi media campaign deals with the root causes of absences and identifies ways to approach conversations about wellbeing that can help pupils to improve their attendance.
The government will publish a new set of enrichment benchmarks, with schools asked to ensure every child has access to activities across five categories of enrichment.
The policy introduces the new Chief Regulator’s Rebuke - a new tool which can be used when an awarding organisation is found to have breached rules, but not in a way that warrants a financial penalty.