A Steiner school in Bristol is taking legal action against its recent Ofsted report, which rated the school as "inadequate" and put it under special measures. The governing body of Steiner Academy Bristol claims that the schools watchdog’s inspection was biased against Steiner schools. The argument will be based on the flawed nature of the Ofsted inspection and lacking proper evidence to support their conclusions. Ofsted has recently found three out of the four Steiner schools to be inadequate, prompting concerns about safeguarding and intervention by the education secretary, Damian Hinds. The Ofsted report on the Bristol school states that pupils are exposed to an "avoidable risk of harm" and that "physical intervention is used unnecessarily". It also suggests that students are making slow progress, bullying is frequent, and disadvantaged pupils and those with special needs are not progressing enough. The school will be placed under special measures, and a multi-academy trust is being sought to take over. The school’s governing body believes Ofsted’s approach has impacted the fairness and independence of the inspection process and expressed concern for the future of state-funded Steiner education. The legal challenge aims to resolve these issues and support sustained improvements. A parent with a child at the school highlights the attraction of Steiner education as an alternative to a system that relies heavily on results over creativity. Ofsted states that its inspection was well-founded and fair and stands by its results.
