It seems to me, as a retired full-time inspector for the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC), that Ofsted is merely continuing its aggressive and confrontational approach to education providers (Ofsted’s new school report card worse than old system, say headteachers, 3 February). Its inspection and grading system lacks any focus or reference to supported and guided development. The FEFC used a five-grade system, with satisfactory being three out of five. Inspection covered cross-college issues and day-to-day teaching and management. Every sixth-form college and FE college was supported by a nominated full-time FEFC inspector, visiting at least once a term. The visits would focus on issues of concern to the college or the inspectorate. All of the full-time inspectors and the vast majority of part-time inspectors had relevant, recent experience of managing and teaching in the sector. In the event of a poor inspection report, the college inspector would monitor and support the institution in its remedial actions. Inspection should be about engendering improvements, not punishment. Liz Thompson Oxford Replacing a single-word judgment with five new categories is supposed to be all that is needed to put all to rights. Far better would be to admit Ofsted’s failure and bring back his majesty’s inspectors (HMIs) as they were in the previous regime before 1992. Unlike Ofsted’s inspectors, HMIs in those days had all had successful careers as headteachers and university lecturers – they were people who knew how to teach. We teachers certainly feared the dreaded inspection, but we respected those carrying it out and were keen to read their reports. In a long career, I never heard of anyone having a breakdown or worse after an inspection. Incidentally, in those times, government ministers were also expected to have had some experience in their departments before being appointed. I am reminded of a remark by my late husband (a lecturer in maths education) on reading an advert for Ofsted examiners: “Some teaching experience will not be a disadvantage!” Ruth Lewis Potters Bar, Hertfordshire