Day 7: Outstanding

Dedicated to: Aleks Kaminska


Friday, 4.15pm

‘Thank you, Darryl, thank you and thanks to the whole team.’ Anthea smiled and shook the lead inspector’s hand with both of her own. Behind her, Trevor and Mona, the other two members of the management team smiled awkwardly. 

‘We just did our job, the judgement was earned.’

‘Well we run a tight ship here. I knew we were doing a great job, but it’s great to have it confirmed.’

‘You should receive the final report next week, but you’re ok to tell your staff.’

‘Thanks Darryl.’ She touched his arm. ‘I’ll walk you guys down.’ 

As they left, Mona turned to Trevor. 

‘Are we finally going to deal with Kerry now?’

Ten minutes later, the staff of Busthill Sixth Form College were crammed into one of the larger seminar rooms, waiting patiently for Anthea to come in and tell them that they’d passed their Ofsted[i] inspection with at least a ‘Good’ and that they could all go home. Only Penny was worried, not about the inspection outcome, but by something else she sensed between Mona and Trevor and the strange absence of Kerry.

Anthea breezed in at last. Or rather, she breathed into the room, entering with an exaggerated sigh and giving the impression that she’d just completed some sort of workout in her trouser suit. 

‘Well, it’s been a long few days hasn’t it?’ 

She waited for the room to nod and murmur in agreement that, yes, the last 72 hours had indeed been longer than the previous 72 hours. ‘I just wanted to say, thank you, for how hard you all work, not just this week, but every week of the academic year.’

That’s it, we’ve passed thought Penny. There was no way Anthea would have opened with praise if they haven’t. 

‘And…’ Anthea smiled broadly around the room as everyone hung on her every word, ‘I’m so delighted to tell you this. Five minutes ago, the lead inspector informed me that we have received the grade of ‘Outstanding!’

A genuine collective cheer went up in the room.

‘Blimey’ murmured someone next to Penny, ‘I hoped for Good, but Outstanding!’

‘Smoke and mirrors’ said someone else.

Penny didn’t respond. She was texting Kerry.

We got Outstanding! Where are u??? R u OK? x

Friday, 2.30pm

Darryl leafed through the folder named ‘Busthill Student Voice & Engagement, 2016/17’, making notes and folding down sections to photocopy. It was all in order, with a coherent strategy and graphs from student surveys. There was an acceptably small number of complaints, which appeared to be well documented and followed up by Kerry Morton, Learner Voice Coordinator, and a detailed section at the back marked ‘destination data’.

There was a light knock at the door, before Anthea popped her head into the room.

‘Hi’ she breathed, ‘just seeing if you’re ready for Kerry.

‘Yes, send her in.’

A minute later, there was another tap at the door. 

‘Come in.’

Kerry was slightly older than Darryl had expected from her CV. She was tall, with long blonde hair and a tight-fitting skirt and blazer combination. She looked like she belonged in an office in Canary Wharf, not a sixth form college in a suburban backwater. 

She extended her hand, ‘nice to meet you, Mr…’

‘Call me Darryl. It’s good of you to come in to meet me, I understand you’ve been under the weather.’

‘Oh I’m much better today.’

‘Glad to hear it, you’re my second to last interview. Now, I’m sure the others have told you, this isn’t like a formal interview. Just talk as you would to anybody about what you do.’

‘OK.’

‘Perhaps you could start by talking me through this strategy and how it directly relates to what you do, day to day.’

Ten minutes later, after taking down some decent, if slightly rehearsed sounding, answers to his questions Darryl had more than enough information.

‘I think I have enough. You’re free to leave now Kerry.’

‘Oh yay! Thank you.’

‘Thanks for coming in. Get back to your sick bed.’

As she left, she bumped into Penny, who was waiting outside for her conversation with Darryl. Before either of them could say anything, Anthea appeared between them.

‘Penny, you might as well go straight in, he’ll be fine with it… now you, come with me for a sec, just need a quick catch up before you go.’

The two of them disappeared into an office, leaving Penny bemused and somewhat exasperated by Anthea’s manner. Before she had time to give it any more thought, Darryl called her into the classroom.

Friday, 1.00pm

 ‘OK… Kerry,’ Anthea fixed her with a stare. ‘You’re sure you know this strategy inside out?’

‘Yes, certain.’

‘You know that the role you play here is an essential one and whatever you tell him could have a huge impact on the outcome of this inspection.’

‘I take my job really seriously.’

‘OK, shall we have a quick practise of what he might ask you and what you’ll say?’

Friday, 9.00am

Meera, Mark and Natalie sat around the table in room 3A, waiting for the inspectors to come and interview them. 

‘How many lessons have you had observed?’ asked Mark.

‘Just one’ said Natalie. ‘Level 1 music technology. They’re a lovely class, thick as anything, but observation was fine. I had the short woman.’
‘Oh yes, so did I. She’s quite nice. Did Anthea jump out from behind a filing cabinet as soon as the class was over and ask how it had gone?’

Natalie laughed, ‘no she sent Trevor… and he didn’t leap out, I could see him just watching through the window the whole time!’

‘Any idea how the student interviews have gone?’

‘Mine sang our praises’ said Meera. ‘Well as much as Entry Level ESOL students can.’

‘What are these guys going to ask us now?’

‘Probably about CPD and job satisfaction – they always ask that’ replied Meera.

Natalie snorted, ‘CPD – Completely Pointless Drivel. Job satisfaction – zero.’

‘Where’s Kerry? It says on that thing they sent out that she’s meant meant to be in this interview with us’ said Mark, reading from his phone. 

‘Kerry’s off sick again.’

‘That’s weird.’

‘More like convenient. Wonder what Anthea said.’

‘Shh – they’re coming.’

Thursday, 1.00pm

Anthea beamed widely as she walked with Darryl down the corridors, making sure to greet every tutor and student she saw. They stepped into the management office. It had three desks around the edge, a battered coffee table and sofa in the middle and a built-in cupboard in the corner.

‘Is that the exam cupboard?’

‘Oh yes – it’s very secure.’

‘Mind if I take a look?’

‘Oh we don’t let anyone in there!’
She giggled coquettishly before catching the look on his face. ‘Just kidding. Of course you can. We just need to wait for Mona to get back from observing the apprentices, she’s the only one who knows the code... can I get you a drink?’

‘Tea please.’

‘Black, one sugar… see I already remember!’

In the tiny staff kitchen next door, Anthea pulled her phone from her pocket and composed a quick message to Mona.

Get held up in some way. Don’t be back until five.

Thursday, 8.30am

Anthea looked at the number on the phone. Extension 104 – Reception. 

‘Hi, are they here?’

‘Yes they’re here.’ 

‘I’m on my way down.’

Wednesday, 4.30pm

Penny sat in the seminar room, Mark to her right, an empty chair to her left. Meera came over.

‘You saving this seat for Kerry?’

‘No idea where she is.’

‘That’s odd.’ 

‘Very odd.’

‘She not been in touch with you at all?’ 

‘Not heard from her since yesterday.’

The management team all walked in together. Mona looked even more tired than usual and Trevor appeared to be on the verge of collapse, or tears, or both. Anthea called the room to attention. 

‘Right, as we all know they’ll be arriving tomorrow morning sometime before 9.00. Now we’ve got a lot to do between now and then and we’re all going to be pulling a late one again.’

Penny glazed over as Anthea and Mona started allocating tasks and checklists to people around the room. She pulled out her phone and typed a quick text to Kerry. 

Oi, lazybones! Where the bloody hell are you? You better be on your death bed leaving me alone for this xx

Wednesday, 10.00am

Anthea scrolled through the options which came up on Google. She remembered she was on Busthill’s network and switched off Wi-Fi on her phone. It wasn’t until she reached page four of the search results that she found a business she was willing to try. It appeared to be ran by a couple, the website was old and didn’t appear well on a phone. There were no reviews.

‘Call’ suggested Google. She pressed the phone button and the number opened up in her phone app. It was a mobile number. Taking a very deep breath, she pressed Call. To her relief, and fright, it started to ring. A woman answered.

‘Hello, Mel speaking.’

‘Oh, hello… is that Bespoke Role Players and Actors?’

Tuesday, 8.30pm

Kerry and Penny sat hunched over a table in an otherwise empty classroom, Penny reading notes and data about learners, which Kerry coded and typed into a spreadsheet on her laptop. Kerry’s eyes were red-rimmed from staring at the screen and Penny’s fingers were developing callouses.

Since the college had got the phone call that morning, giving 48 hours’ notice of an Ofsted inspection, everyone was producing and consolidating reams of data about their departments and learners. Most staff were still around the building somewhere, compiling reports, creating charts or checking portfolios and learning plans.

Kerry yawned and rubbed her eyes. 

‘How many more left?’

Penny counted, ‘just 5 for Childcare and then we can start on Travel & Tourism.’ 

‘Urghhhhhhhh….’

‘I need to call it a night anyway. Tom’s on a night shift and I need to get home for the kids. How are you getting home?’

‘Lift… from you.’

‘Let’s leave in five.’

It was at that moment that Mona popped her head around the door.

‘I’ve been looking for you.’

‘Which one of us?’ asked Kerry.

‘You. Anthea needs you upstairs. Something about destination data from 2015. Then she was wondering if you could sort out a couple of the displays.’

Kerry took a deep breath. ‘OK, can I just finish this off?’

‘Yes, come upstairs when you’re done… thank you Kerry. I know we always pick on you. You’re too good’

Penny raised her eyebrows.

‘You let them take the piss, you do. You won’t be out of here ‘til gone 11, you do know that?’ 

‘I know.’

‘Make sure one of them gives you a lift home.’

‘Yeah yeah.’

‘I’m serious. You can’t be too careful Kez. That kid we had to chuck out might be knocking about.’

‘He’s not allowed... Anyway, Anthea won’t let anyone give me lift…’ she affected a high, breathy voice, ‘if we look after you, we’d have to look after everyone. The most important rule in safeguarding is…’

‘Safeguard yourself’ Penny finished for her. ‘Stupid cow’.

‘Yep… See you lovely.’

‘Don’t stay too late.’

Three hours later Kerry finally left work for the night, leaving behind only three members of the management team. The zip on her coat had broken earlier that day. Drawing the coat around her, she walked briskly through the car park towards the road. She hated the car park at night. Tonight, it felt particularly eerie.

‘What was that?’ asked Mona. She, Anthea and Trevor were sat around an office on the second floor, overlooking the carpark.

‘I didn’t hear anything. Trevor, did you?’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘I definitely heard something in the carpark.’

‘What was it?’ asked Anthea, exasperated.

‘Like a kind of… thump. Who’s still here?’

‘It was probably the caretaker putting the bins out.’

‘I’m going to check.’

‘Be quick.’

Anthea and Trevor returned to the list they were working through, while Mona went down to the car park.

‘Trevor, where’s that stuff on learning support for this year?’

‘Penny has the file I think.’

‘She wasn’t supposed to leave without giving it back with updated– ‘

They were interrupted by a scream from the car park. Anthea opened the window and leaned out. She could barely make out Mona’s figure in the darkness.

‘Call 999!’

‘What?’

‘Call 999. And come down here… NOW.’

Anthea grabbed her phone and ran downstairs with Trevor. Flying through the nearest fire escape, into and across the carpark, they reached Mona.  She was crouched, completely still, over something. She looked up slowly. Anthea’s eyes adjusting to the darkness, she could see Mona’s face frozen in shock and made out the shape of a body.

‘Who is that?’

‘Kerry.’

‘Is she OK?’

Mona put her head to Kerry’s chest and held it there for a long time.

‘She’s dead’ she said at last.

‘What do you mean, dead?’

‘Dead. No pulse. Not breathing. Dead.’ She spoke slowly, as if searching for each word, one at a time.

Anthea gasped. She and Trevor moved closer and crouched next to Mona. 

‘Are you sure?’
Anthea tried Kerry’s neck, then wrist, then neck again. Nothing. She put her ear to her chest and mouth. Nothing. Reaching into her pocket for her phone, she realised her hand was wet. Rubbing her fingers and squinting in the darkness, she recognised the thick, sticky texture of blood. 

‘Where’s that coming from?’

‘Her head… I think’ said Trevor.

Nobody spoke for a moment.

‘Did you call 999?’ asked Mona finally.

‘No, I… we just… I’ll do it now…  take my phone, my hands.’ Anthea gestured towards her pocket and Mona reached in and pulled it out for her.

‘What’s your passcode?’

‘What -?’

‘Your passcode.’

‘You don’t need a passcode for 999’ offered Trevor. ‘Here let me…’

As he reached for the phone, Anthea suddenly put a bloody hand out to stop him.

‘Wait! No.’

Mona turned sharply to her. 

‘What do you mean no?’

‘No police, no ambulance.’

‘Anthea… she’s dead, we can’t just…’

‘Not yet.’

‘Not ‘til we’ve called her family?’

‘No… not til, not til Ofsted is over.’

Mona stared at her in horror.

‘You cannot POSSIBLY mean that an Ofsted inspection is more important…’

‘How would it LOOK Mona? She might have been killed by that learner we expelled.’

‘That is completely irrelevant right now! She. is. dead. We have a DEAD staff member. We need to call 999’ 

‘No, she’s dead already. It can’t be reversed… they can’t save her.’

Trevor put his head in his hands. ‘I should have driven her home. I…’

Anthea stopped him. 

‘No Trev, what have a I told you? Help one person, help them all. We run a meritocracy, we don’t run favours.’

‘You’re STILL saying that?’

‘Don’t raise your voice Mona!’

‘What about her family?’ asked Trevor

‘Does she live with them?’

‘What…?’

‘Sorry, did she live with them?’

‘No, I, that’s not what I meant… I don’t think she does, but… ?’

‘I mean, will anyone miss her?’

‘WE WILL FOR FUCKS SAKE.’

‘I. said. keep. your. voice. down.’ 
Anthea’s eyes were ice. ‘Just think about the papers, the day before an inspection… Staff member killed, leaving work at night!’

 ‘And why is that Anthea? She just stayed here ‘til almost midnight saving OUR arse.’

‘And if we report this now, it will have been for nothing …  think about it, it’s what she would have wanted.’

‘For us to pass Ofsted?’

‘Exactly’.

‘So what are we going to do… just bury her body and not tell anyone?’ 

‘Yes… wait, no. No burial. This is just until Ofsted is over. Then she can be found, somewhere far away from the college.’

‘Oh, well then let’s just keep her in a cupboard for three days!’ Mona’s voice was now a hiss.

Anthea was silent for a moment and then looked directly at her. 

‘Yes, that’s exactly what we’re going to do.’

Words: 2663

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[i] School Inspectors in the UK (NZ equivalent: ERO)