Ofsted faces fresh calls to halt graded school inspections in England
A second head teachers' union says it is "increasingly concerned" about members' "welfare and morale".
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has called for a halt to graded Ofsted inspections in England, expressing growing concern over the welfare and morale of its members. The union has also raised the possibility of potential strike action due to the new grading system being perceived as an overwhelming and ineffective mess.
On Friday, Ofsted's chief inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, stated that an independent survey of education providers indicated the organization was on the right track with inspections. The Department for Education (DfE) emphasized its commitment to working with Ofsted and school leaders to ensure accountability is fair, proportionate, and focused on improving every school.
ASCL's announcement follows the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) warning that changes made to inspections just over a year ago have caused significant harm to school leaders' wellbeing, posing a risk to life. An independent report commissioned by Ofsted found that while leaders generally had positive experiences with the new inspection framework, nearly half of the surveyed school leaders reported that recent inspections negatively impacted their staff's mental wellbeing.
Ofsted's Sir Martyn Oliver acknowledged the challenges of workload and wellbeing in education and pledged to continue listening to feedback from professionals and parents as they strive to improve the inspection system.
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