Amanda Spielman, the former chief inspector of Ofsted, is set to join the House of Lords after being nominated by the Conservatives, as revealed by the Observer. Spielman recently launched a political attack on Labour’s schools bill, which was widely perceived as an overtly political move. Her nomination has been met with outrage by the family of Ruth Perry, a headteacher who took her own life following a damaging Ofsted inspection, as well as by school leaders who describe it as “obscene” and “an insult to every teacher in the country.”

Perry’s suicide in January 2023 came after her school, Caversham Primary in Reading, was downgraded to the lowest rating of inadequate due to an Ofsted inspection. The inspection, which was considered “rude and intimidating” by a coroner, contributed to Perry’s death. A prevention of future deaths report called for urgent changes to inspections, including training for inspectors on responding to distress, but Spielman denied that Ofsted made any errors during the inspection.

Ruth Perry’s sister, Prof Julia Waters, expressed her disgust at Spielman’s potential elevation to the House of Lords, citing her role in Perry’s death and her defense of the inspection process. Andrew Morrish, a former headteacher and Ofsted inspector, also criticized the Conservative party’s decision to nominate Spielman, calling it a “pure contempt” for the sector and Perry’s family. He plans to launch a public petition against the nomination.

No 10 has criticized Spielman’s recent remarks attacking Labour’s on education, suggesting she should focus more on her record at Ofsted and the loss of confidence in her leadership. Despite this, she was praised by some Conservative education secretaries during her time at Ofsted, where she introduced an inspection framework focused on academic rigor.

However, small primary schools have struggled with the intensive “deep dives” of her inspection method, and teachers have complained about the subjective nature of “pop quiz” questions to students. Spielman also commissioned a review into sexual harassment and abuse in schools after a significant outcry from young people, but the Conservative MP Maria Miller criticized Ofsted’s failure to act on such issues before.

Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, and Sean Lang, a historian and school governor, both spoke out against Spielman’s potential appointment, with Kebede pointing out that her leadership at Ofsted had a negative impact on education, including contributing to a retention crisis among teachers. The Conservative party declined to comment on the speculation or purported leaks regarding nominations for honors.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/mar/29/ofsted-chief-amanda-spielman-peerage-lords-ruth-perry