London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Mar 05, 2026

Parents report schools to Ofsted for being superb after being told to complain

Parents report schools to Ofsted for being superb after being told to complain

Ofsted has been inundated with emails since schools were forced to close due to lockdown – but most have been from parents praising the work of teachers.

On Wednesday Education Secretary Gavin Williamson urged parents with concerns about the quality of the remote learning on offer could raise them directly with the watchdog.

But instead it appears people have taken upon themselves to spread some positivity and have only contacted Ofsted with positive comments about schools.

According to Schools Week, more than 5,000 emails were sent in the tail end of last week with most praising the work of teachers in difficult circumstances.

Dad Rob McCann from Lincoln was one of those who felt compelled to write in. Sharing his email on Twitter, he said: ‘I felt I had no choice but to report my children’s school to Ofsted. Feel free to do the same…’

His letter said had had been ‘thoroughly impressed’ with the education that his two sons had been receiving. ‘The teachers are working tirelessly to set home learning and teach key worker children. The communication has been superb and on work submitted, our boys continue to receive superb feedback.’

Another parent who turned the tables on Gavin Williamson’s instructions wrote: ‘I’m writing to let you know that, despite just 12 hours notice and no help with devices, [my son’s] primary school are delivering really good online learning.’

Writing in support of his child’s school, Sim Crowther from Oxfordshire said: ‘It is without doubt that the ridiculously late (yet correct) decision on Monday night to close the schools has put a huge pressure on all of the staff and teachers at the school. However, yet again, this has not phased them in the slightest and they have excelled in providing resources and support for both my child and myself.’


Education Secretary Gavin Williamson ahead of giving his statement in the House of Commons


Milly, 8, takes part in an online school lesson from home as the country started the third lockdown


It’s after the Education Secretary’s comments about referring schools to Ofsted were dismissed as ‘tone deaf’ on Wednesday.

Mr Williamson told parents to raise any concerns they had with teachers and head teachers first but then go to Ofsted directly.

The schools inspectorate was apparently blind-sided by the announcement. The Telegraph reported senior leaders had not been told about their new role before it was announced in the House of Commons.

Teachers criticised the announcement which was made just two days after lockdown had forced all schools to close for the majority of pupils again for the second time in a year.

The Government only unveiled its expectations for online learning on Thursday afternoon. Schools are expected to provide between three and five hours a day and have been told to help ensure all pupils have the right technology in order to get online.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Iran Conflict Strains U.S.–U.K. Alliance as Trump and Starmer Clash Over Military Strategy
UK Interest Rates Could Rise Above Four Percent Again if Energy Shock Continues, Think Tank Warns
Starmer Defends Britain’s Iran Strategy as Badenoch Urges Stronger Military Support
Labour MP Says She Saw No Sign Husband Broke Law After Arrest in China Espionage Investigation
UK Jobless Rate Overtakes Italy’s for First Time in Years as Labour Market Weakens
United Kingdom Suspends Student Visas for Four Countries in Unprecedented Immigration Move
Campaigners Warn UK Student Visa Ban Could Push Migrants Toward Dangerous Channel Crossings
First U.K. Charter Flight for Stranded Nationals Set to Depart Oman Amid Middle East Crisis
France and United Kingdom Deploy Warships to Eastern Mediterranean as Middle East Conflict Escalates
U.K. Arrests Three Men Including Lawmaker’s Partner in Suspected China Espionage Investigation
Trump Says UK–US ‘Special Relationship’ Is Diminished Amid Middle East Dispute
UK Economic Forecasts Face Fresh Strain from Middle East Conflict and Rising Energy Costs
UK Reaffirms Close US Ties After Trump’s Public Criticism
Reeves Stresses Stability and Fiscal Discipline in UK Budget Update as Growth Outlook Shifts
UK Deploys Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon to Cyprus After Drone Strike on RAF Base
Green Party Surges Past Labour in New UK Poll as Traditional Party Support Crumbles
Majority of Britons Oppose U.S. Use of UK Military Bases in Iran Conflict
UK Intensifies Evacuation Efforts from Oman, Working with Airlines to Boost Flight Capacity
Trump Condemns UK and Spain in Unusually Sharp Rift Over Iran Military Action
Trump Repeats UK Claims That Diverge from Verified Facts Amid Diplomatic Strain
UK Arrests Prominent Figures Linked to Epstein Network as Questions Mount Over US Action
Trump Says UK ‘Took Far Too Long’ to Approve Use of Airbases for Iran Strikes
Scope of Britain’s Role in the Expanding Middle East Conflict Comes Under Scrutiny
Trump Says He Is ‘Very Disappointed’ in Starmer Over Iran Comments
U.S. Embassy in Riyadh Struck by Drones Amid Escalating Iran Conflict
Starmer Confronts Strategic Test After Drone Strike Near British Base in Cyprus
Rolls-Royce Chief Signals Openness to Germany Joining UK-Led Fighter Jet Programme
UK Stocks Slip as Escalating Iran Conflict Triggers Global Market Selloff
UK Overhauls Asylum System to Make Refugee Status Temporary
Starmer Warns of ‘Reckless’ Iranian Strikes Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
British Base in Cyprus Targeted as Drones Intercepted Amid Expanding Iran Conflict
Starmer Diverges from Trump on Iran Strategy, Rejects ‘Regime Change from the Skies’
U.S. and Israel Intensify Strikes on Iran as Conflict Expands to Lebanon and Gulf States
Violent Pro-Iranian Protesters Storm U.S. Consulate in Karachi
Missile Debris Sparks Fires at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port Near Palm Jumeirah
Iran Strikes U.S. Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain Amid Wider Gulf Retaliation
When the State Replaces the Parent: How Gender Policy Is Redefining Custody and Coercion
Bill Clinton Denies Knowing Woman in Hot Tub Photo During Closed-Door Epstein Deposition
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton Testifies on Ties to Jeffrey Epstein Before Congressional Oversight Committee
Dyson Reaches Settlement in Landmark UK Forced Labour Case
Barclays and Jefferies Shares Fall After UK Mortgage Lender Collapse Rekindles Credit Market Concerns
Play Exploring Donald Trump’s Rise to Power by ‘Lehman Trilogy’ Author to Premiere in the UK
Man Arrested After Churchill Statue Defaced in Central London
Keir Starmer Faces Political Setback as Labour Finishes Third in High-Profile By-Election
UK Assisted Dying Bill Set to Fall Short in Parliament as Regional Initiatives Gain Ground
UK Defence Ministry Clarifies Position After Reports of Imminent Helicopter Contract
Independent Left-Wing Plumber Secures Shock Victory as Greens Surge in UK By-Election
Reform UK Refers Alleged ‘Family Voting’ Incidents in By-Election to Police
United Kingdom Temporarily Withdraws Embassy Staff from Iran Amid Heightened Regional Tensions
UK Government Reaches Framework Agreement on Release of Mandelson Vetting Files
×