The former head of Ofsted has said it is becoming impossible to have "difficult conversations" with people in the UK.
Amanda Spielman has defended her actions after the suicide of Reading primary school headteacher, Ruth Perry.
Perry, 53, took her own life in January 2023 after inspectors downgraded Caversham Primary School’s rating over safeguarding concerns.
Now Spielman, who stood down last year, has said there was often too much focus on being kind to adults working in public service rather than concern for those using it, such as children in schools.
Amanda Spielman has defended the actions of Ofsted
PA
She told the Difficult Women podcast: "The thing I’ve found people are incredibly unwilling to acknowledge and discuss is that there is no possible way that you can ever make everyone perfectly happy and totally protect the interests of children, and make sure that you never have to say anything to an adult that could disappoint or upset them.
"Politicians especially, I find, are just desperate for there to be a perfect world in which everyone can be happy, and it can’t be done, there are choices that have to be made."
Following the coroner's verdict that the Ofsted inspection at Caversham Primary School in November 2022 contributed to the head teacher’s suicide, there was a number of changes at Ofsted.
The National Education Union’s annual conference in Bournemouth is set to vote on whether it wants Ofsted to be completely reformed later this week.
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Ruth Perry took her own life in January 2023 after inspectors downgraded Caversham Primary School’s ratingPASpielman added: "I absolutely did what I think was the right thing at a tremendously difficult time when it would have been very easy to say ‘we got the inspection wrong’. I couldn’t do that, I didn’t do that.
"Sometimes, it’s like a doctor, sometimes a doctor has to give you a difficult diagnosis and you cannot not be upset by it, however kindly and sympathetically they give it to you. It’s the same for Ofsted inspectors, there are times when they have to give people really tough messages."
New Ofsted chief inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, is currently conducting a consultation about whether the watchdog needs an overhaul.
Some of the proposals suggested by Sir Martyn include the requirement for inspectors to undergo mental health awareness training and headteachers can pause inspections if staff show signs of distress.
Other plans will see inspectors ordered to act with “empathy and respect” whilst headteachers will be able to raise any concerns directly with Ofsted.
Spielman compared criticising Ofsted to that of a Premier League referee, adding: "When the decision goes against your team, it is so easy to see bias or incompetence on the referee’s part. And Ofsted gets a lot of that as well."
