As reported by the BBC, a school leaders’ union has criticised new Ofsted inspection changes as insufficient, with 93% of members lacking confidence in the proposed framework
A school leaders’ union has said Ofsted inspection reforms “do not go anywhere near far enough”. In September the government announced schools in England would no longer be issued with headline grades for overall effectiveness.
It followed the death of headteacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life after an Ofsted report downgraded her Caversham Primary School in Reading.
But a survey of members of the National Association of Head Teachers Union (NAHT) found that 93% do not have confidence in Ofsted to design an effective new inspection framework.
General secretary Paul Whiteman said: “What we cannot accept is a revised version of the existing system.”
Previously Ofsted awarded one of four single-phrase inspection judgments: Outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate.
Out of more than 1,500 members of the school leaders’ union surveyed, 76% agreed that a completely new inspection framework and methodology were needed. However, 72% of school leaders said they did not agree with the retention of Ofsted grades across four sub-categories as an interim arrangement this year.
Mr Whiteman said: “While some of the interim measures taken last year to make inspection more humane have been a step in the right direction, they clearly do not go anywhere near far enough.” He said the fundamental problems with the inspections remained and the current system was “clearly broken”.
Ofsted’s new chief inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, previously said the body had to ensure high standards, but admitted it could also be “far more empathetic”.
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