Ofsted has promised all inspectors will get mental health awareness training today after hundreds were locked out of accessing the online session this morning due to a technical glitch.
All inspectors working in schools, further education, social care and early years were due to attend initial training today, led by Sir Martyn Oliver, the watchdog’s chief inspector. There are around 3,000 inspectors.
But Ofsted said earlier today it was “experiencing some technical issues with this morning’s mandatory training”, an email seen by FE Week‘s sister title Schools Week shows.
It is understood that just short of 1,000 inspectors were able to access the online training.
“We are very sorry for the issues experienced this morning and are trying to resolve them as quickly as possible,” the inspectorate added in the email.
The watchdog has maintained all inspectors will be able to access the training today, however.
An Ofsted spokesperson said: “We’re aware of the technical issues, however we will be publishing a recording of the training so that anyone who was unable to access this morning’s session will be able to watch it back.”
A coroner last month ruled an Ofsted inspection in November 2022 contributed to the death by suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry in January last year.
Today’s “initial training” was due to include an introductory session from social enterprise Mental Health First Aid England.
On Friday, the watchdog announced inspections will resume on January 22 after they were paused so inspectors could undergo the training in the wake of Perry’s death.
When inspections return, all lead inspectors working in schools and further education will have completed both sessions of the new mental health training, Ofsted said.
Every inspector will have completed the training by the end of March.
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