A Swindon teacher spends “two days on edge” before an Ofsted inspection, they have said as controversy into the watchdog’s inspections continues.

The maths teacher, who works at a school in North Swindon, has revealed they will be forced to consider leaving the profession unless things drastically improve.

They said that whilst remaining understaffed and underfunded, schools “still have to ‘perform’ for Ofsted which only covers up all the problem because we’re penalised if we don’t.”

The teacher, who wishes to remain anonymous, chose to speak out after the death of Ruth Perry, headteacher of Caversham Primary School in Reading.

She took her own life waiting for the result of an Ofsted rating.

Ruth's death led to several organisations, unions, schools and individual teachers calling for Ofsted to pause inspections and reform how it does them because of the undue stress it puts education workers under. 

Following this, several teachers in Swindon shared their experiences with the education watchdog, with one mentioning that they were in the process of leaving the profession to protect their own mental health. 

Now the 30-year-old teacher has revealed that they too will be leaving teaching behind if things stay as they are. 

Read More: Swindon teachers share Ofsted pressures as head's death causes outcry

"A bad Ofsted rating results in a bad reputation, leading to smaller year groups and less funding rather than increased support. A good Ofsted has no positive impact so we have a stick and no carrot system,” they said.

"I have worked through good and bad Ofsted inspections and both are equally horrendous and deflating. Generally, I am up till 1am trying to tick all of the boxes, I spend 2 days on edge and terrified of making a mistake and then in the end there is nothing."

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They added that most schools in the town are experiencing staffing issues and that in their school they have students who are on their second year of not having a dedicated maths teacher, which means others are having to pick up the slack. 

"Surely Ofsted should be there for supportive purposes only - I fail to see how a judgement actually helps improve education for our young people," they said. 

"As long as the inspector chooses to look in the right places you get 'good' if you're unlucky and they choose a weaker area for their deep dive you get 'inadequate'. It is not a true reflection of what our young people receive and it is not fit for purpose.

"I am sick of feeling like we are failing our young people in this country and feeling guilty that this country does not feel like they deserve to be invested in. It’s not ok."