Several complaints about Ofsted inspections in Swindon have been dealt with since 2020, new figures show.

New data shows hundreds of complaints were logged across England about the conduct of Ofsted inspectors last year – with a union for school leaders warning the inspectorate may have "lost the trust of the profession".

Figures obtained by RADAR show nine complaints were recorded about Ofsted inspections from providers in Swindon over the three years to March 2023 – three of which were registered last year.

Of the 1,199 complaints about Ofsted across the country last year, 502 included concerns regarding the behaviour of inspectors.

But Swindon did not see any complaints about inspectors' conduct over three years.

Just 18 complaints were fully upheld last year across England.

However, Ofsted was found to be partially in the wrong in 263 cases. Of these, one was for a complaint made in Swindon.

Ofsted's inspection process has come under greater scrutiny in the past year, following the suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry.

In December a coroner ruled an inspection "likely contributed" to her death after her school was downgraded from the highest to the lowest rating over safeguarding concerns.

Ofsted is responsible for inspecting various educational and childcare settings, such as schools, early years and social care providers.

The Association of School and College Leaders said the large number of complaints "strongly suggests Ofsted has lost the trust of the profession".

Last year, the number of complaints rose as inspections returned to pre-pandemic levels – with one complaint for every 40 inspections.

An Ofsted spokesperson said: "We want to make sure that our work is always carried out with professionalism, courtesy, empathy and respect. In the vast majority of cases it is – but we take all complaints very seriously.

"We understand that some have found our complaints process difficult to navigate, so we recently introduced a new, more transparent process, including the option for leaders to call a senior person at Ofsted if they have any concerns during their inspection. We consulted on these measures and they were strongly supported by the sectors we inspect."

Paul Whiteman, general secretary for NAHT, a union for school leaders, said: "More broadly, fundamental reform of the way Ofsted operates is urgently needed to improve the reliability and usefulness of inspections while reducing the unacceptable toll on the well-being and mental health of leaders and teachers."

Ofsted said it will respond to the Education Committee's findings in the coming weeks