Winston Churchill is often credited with saying, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

The sentiment captures a vital truth. I choose to be an optimist, and it is in this spirit that I not only welcome the government’s decision to abolish single-word Ofsted judgments but also embrace the opportunities that the transition to a report card system presents.

However, we must acknowledge that establishing this new system will be challenging.

Our goal is to provide parents with a fuller, richer understanding of the performance of our schools and colleges.

But it’s crucial that the information presented remains concise, meaningful and accessible. The expectations placed on educational institutions must be clear and achievable, and we must be vigilant in avoiding unintended consequences.

Furthermore, we must ensure that report cards do not become another blunt instrument for judging schools - we must avoid simply replacing one flawed system with another.

The implementation of this new system requires both care and urgency. Proposals need to be developed, consulted upon and finalised well before it is set to begin in September 2025, allowing schools ample time to prepare.

Integrating the new Ofsted report cards

A critical question remains: how will this new system connect to the existing systems for supporting struggling schools?

Over the past decade the role of multi-academy trusts has evolved significantly. What criteria on report cards will trigger support? How will this support be delivered? And how can we ensure that this support is timely, practical and effective?

Understanding the role of MATs in this new landscape is essential. How will this integrate with the government’s new regional improvement teams, existing regional directors and local authorities?

Clarity is needed not just for schools and colleges regarding what is expected of them but also within the broader system about who is responsible for what.

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has already explored models for report cards in a discussion paper published in June.

It recommends a new, slim set of statutory standards, which all state schools would be expected to meet or exceed.

These standards might, for example, include carefully defined expectations on inclusion, curriculum provision and pupil outcomes. Importantly, they should reflect the priorities of parents, children, staff and leaders.

Once these standards are established, Ofsted’s role should be limited to assessing whether schools are meeting them. Crucially, it should not be Ofsted’s responsibility to define these standards.

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We must move away from frameworks that change every few years. The criteria by which schools are judged should be consistent over time, providing clarity for parents and reducing the disruptive effects of adapting to new frameworks.

Schools that do not meet these standards should receive support, in most cases from their oversight bodies, such as trusts and local authorities.

In a small number of cases, where there are concerns about the capacity to provide adequate support, it may be necessary to require the school to join a trust or move to a different trust.

As the ASCL’s discussion paper emphasises: “Such intervention should always be done with, rather than to, the school community.”

A system built on these principles will ensure that schools and colleges are held accountable in a manner that is supportive rather than punitive.

Schools in need of support will no longer be burdened with stigmatising labels that are counterproductive. Education staff will no longer operate under a “culture of fear” around inspections - a finding highlighted in Ofsted’s Big Listen consultation.

A culture of support, not fear

A less punitive, more supportive system will also positively impact staff recruitment and retention, benefiting schools, colleges and their students.

Inspections should serve as a mirror, reflecting the state of the education system - not as an all-consuming, ever-changing force that dominates the lives of leaders and teachers.

All of this is a significant challenge, but the potential benefits are immense. There is an opportunity here to recalibrate our approach and create a system that is more proportionate and stable, and provides greater clarity and assurance to parents.

Let’s seize this opportunity with optimism.

Pepe Di’Iasio is general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders

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