The education secretary gave Durham Free School (DFS) until 3 February to make representations showing why it should not have its funding agreement ended. Nicky Morgan now has the school’s response: a detailed explanation of why the DfE’s threat to close the school is unfair, disproportionate and wrongheaded. The academy trust has also served notice that it may apply for judicial review.
A critique of Ofsted’s behaviour throughout this affair has also been drawn up, saying that the chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, may have misled a commons committee.
When MPs raised concerns about Ofsted inspectors asking children inappropriate questions about what lesbians ‘did’ or whether they had ever felt they might be in the ‘wrong body’, Sir Michael said the claims had been ‘thoroughly investigated’ and were ‘false’. However, DFS maintains that Ofsted had not contacted the school or parents, had taken no statements from complainants or witnesses – in short, have made no proper investigation at all.
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