4:38pm Monday 18th December 2000
THE headteacher of one of Bromleys most successful schools has criticised the Ofsted inspectorate, despite being given its best-ever report.
Patricia Ash, from Ashgrove School in Widmore Road, was delighted with the report published last week which praised her schools high quality of teaching.
But the headteacher, with 14 years experience at the private primary school, was critical of the system, claiming some inspectors were not up to the job of assessing schools.
She said: There are bad inspectors who are unable to be objective because they have preconceived ideas about styles of teaching.
I wonder how many of these people were successful as classroom teachers.
She sent a message to the new chief inspector of schools, Mike Tomlinson, adding: I hope the new inspector is better than the previous chief, Chris Woodhead.
Mr Woodheads problem was that his manner was insensitive, even though there was some truth in what he sometimes said.
Six of the 106 children who go to the school are subsidised by the Governments £1,000 voucher scheme for four-year-olds, making it eligible for inspection.
Mrs Ash puts her schools success down to her policy of providing specialist teachers for maths, English, PE and music lessons for the four to 11-year-olds.
The two other Ofsted reports carried out in 1998 and 1996, were also full of praise for the school.
She said: We are delighted we have been recognised for the excellent standard of the education we provide.
Our inspector was excellent, but there are some people who shouldnt be doing the job and I have to say a negative report can devastate a schools morale.
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