The head teacher of a leading Kent grammar school has branded Ofsted inspections ‘“tick-box exercises” after it was stripped of its ‘outstanding’ status after 12 years.

Folkestone School for Girls (FSG) has been downgraded to ‘good’ by the education watchdog following a two-day visit in April.

But head Mark Lester claims FSG is actually a better school now than when it was awarded top marks in 2012, revealing how the recent judgement has left him “saddened” and staff “disheartened”.

His remarks follow the publication of Ofsted’s report, which despite awarding a lower rating heaps praise on a school long considered one of the best in Kent.

In it inspectors hail the “impressive curriculum” at FSG, writing that pupils feel “10 feet tall” and develop into “articulate and confident young women”.

Exceptional student behaviour, glowing sixth-form results and the breadth of extra-curricular options are also highlighted.

But issues in the maths department, where “pupils are not learning as well as they could”, and a lack of experience among trustees saw the school lose its coveted ‘outstanding’ rating.

Mr Lester said in a letter to parents: “All Ofsted inspections are a snapshot in time, and we happen to have had an inspection when we were overcoming two challenges.

“Firstly, an acute staffing issue in mathematics, which following on from the disruption of the pandemic was doubly impactful. This could not have been predicted or planned for.

“A second challenge was a number of trustees being new to post, following the retirement of longstanding and experienced colleagues.

“The trustees are a valued part of the school leadership and governance, providing a scrutiny of decision making and future plans, but they had not yet developed expertise or had all the training they required.”

Mr Lester said both issues had been identified before the Ofsted inspection and plans were in place to address them, but it could not save the school from being downgraded.

“The Ofsted process is a tick-box exercise,” he wrote.

“If all the boxes can’t be ticked then a particular grading cannot be awarded.

“A challenge then in just one area can shut off the route to the overall outstanding rating, even if inspectors recognise that the challenge could not have been foreseen, has been reacted to in an exemplary way, and there is an excellent plan to fix it.

“This is what happened at FSG.

“Both the areas for improvement had already been identified before the inspection and were flagged to the inspectors from the outset - they agreed that the plans we have to address them are robust, workable and will secure rapid improvement.

“However, we could not achieve the overall outstanding rating because we could not tick every box at every point in the process.”

FSG is far from alone when it comes to ‘outstanding’ schools being downgraded.

Between 2012 - when FSG last had a visit from Ofsted - and 2020, any school with the top rating was exempt from inspection unless specific concerns were raised.

In 2021/22, after the rules had changed, Ofsted inspected 370 ‘outstanding’ schools that had last been visited on average 13 years before.

Just 17% retained the highest status, with 62% dropping to ‘good’ and 21% judged to be ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’.

Of the 18 inspected in Kent, only four were still rated ‘outstanding’.

Education leaders claimed the previously exempt schools were being unfairly judged “under a different inspection framework with different criteria”.

A head teacher’s union described Ofsted’s harsher inspection judgements as a “woefully blunt” tool because they stigmatise schools and make “improvement harder to secure”.

An Ofsted judgement does not define FSG, our school, staff and students are beyond outstanding. They are exceptional...

FSG’s Mr Lester alluded to the new criteria in his letter to parents, writing: “There is some disappointment that despite the school being described in glowing terms, both in the report and by the inspectors during the inspection, we have not retained our outstanding overall judgement which was awarded in 2012 - albeit under a different inspection framework.

“Whilst FSG was an ‘outstanding’ school in 2012, it is an even better school now.

“There is much to celebrate in the report, and in the feedback, even if the overall, single word judgement does not reflect the school I know and love.

“An Ofsted judgement does not define FSG, our school, staff and students are beyond outstanding. They are exceptional.

“At FSG, our intent is to be the best school in the world; nothing less.”

While the school was downgraded to ‘good’ overall and for education quality and leadership, it retained its ‘outstanding’ status for behaviour and attitudes, personal development and sixth-form provision.

Speaking to KentOnline, Mr Lester said: “We’ve had overwhelming support from parents in response to the judgement and their view is that we quite simply did not get the judgement we deserved.”