A Ringwood mum has launched a petition calling for a stop to Ofsted inspections during the week before Christmas.

Emily Hatch has gathered more than 1,000 signatures after inspectors visited a New Forest junior school just before the Christmas holidays.

The 45-year-old mum-of-two said: “It seemed unfair to the school, teachers and the kids. Lots of people think this is unfair so I just started the petition.”

On the online petition she added: “It should be a week of Christmas plays, class parties, school discos and festive activities. As parents we want Ofsted to give a true reflection of how our school is performing.

“The week before the Christmas holidays is disrupted with rehearsals for Christmas performances, parties and lots of well-earned fun activities that are somewhat out of the norm.

“The teachers are totally run off their feet supporting these activities and the children are exhausted.

“It is not a fair time to impose an inspection on the school. Likewise with the last week before the end of the school year. This is not an appropriate time to carry out inspections, with celebrations of the achievements and often emotional farewells between pupils and teachers.

“We wait four years for an inspection. We want it carried out fairly.

“I am not suggesting that Ofsted are being unfair, but the timing and situation within the school makes it an unfair assessment.”

She says if the petition gets more signatures she will send it to the Department of Education calling for the situation to be reviewed.

An Ofsted spokesman said: “Ofsted carries out up to 7,000 school inspections each year. We do not inspect in some periods because they are close to the beginning or end of the year.

“However, we do inspect in the run up to Christmas because we want to see schools operating as normally as possible.”

To find out more information and sign the petition visit the website at chn.ge/1wKz4Ey