Teachers warned Ofsted of “culture of fear” at Brampton Manor Academy –but the inspectorate appears to have ignored them

An Ofsted-outstanding academy forced teachers to resign or be sacked after applying for positions at other schools, amid a “culture of fear”, detailed accounts from former staff members have alleged.

But when seven of them provided written testimonies of their experiences to Ofsted, the inspectorate appears to have ignored their concerns, instead then giving the school its highest rating, in a report which said unequivocally that staff there felt “well supported”.

Two of the seven former teachers told Education Uncovered there was a culture whereby teachers had felt intimidated by Brampton Manor Academy under its £200,000-a-year-plus superhead, Dayo Olukoshi, and completely let down by the inspectorate.

Three former teachers wrote that they were forced to resign without having secured jobs elsewhere after notifying Brampton Manor, a 2,750-pupil secondary in London’s East End, that they were applying for jobs in other schools.

Another former member of staff had told Ofsted about having been sacked and marched off the school site after taking a single day off sick, while another was put on “gardening leave”, never to return to the school, without explanation, they said. I have also been told that the working culture at the school has led young teachers to quit the profession.