School leaders have warned that proposed changes to Ofsted’s complaints process do not go far enough because they don’t recommend the establishment of an independent body to overturn inspection judgements.

Ofsted is consulting on a new complaints process that will give schools longer to challenge the factual accuracy of draft reports, and see the watchdog hold off on publishing final reports until it has dealt with school complaints.

However, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has warned that the proposals do not go far enough.

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Stephen Rollett, ASCL’s curriculum and inspection specialist, said: “School leaders have little faith in Ofsted’s complaints process.

“We welcome Ofsted’s consultation, and specifically the proposal to delay publication of reports pending investigation of a complaint, but the proposals simply don’t go far enough.”

”[As long as] the complaints process lacks external oversight with the power to change inspectors’ high-stakes judgements, leaders will remain deeply sceptical of its fairness.”

Writing for Tes last month, ASCL general secretary Geoff Barton proposed changing the Ofsted complaint process as part of a 10-point plan to improve the accountability system.

He said there was a feeling among schools that “there is not a cat in hell’s chance of overturning an Ofsted judgement” and suggested that the inspectorate should work with the sector to make the complaints process “simpler, clearer and more effective”.

Yesterday, Ofsted published proposals to change its complaints process, which can be responded to until the consultation period closes at the end of the month.

Any changes are set to be introduced in September this year.

The plan is to give schools five working days in which to make any comments and challenge the factual accuracy of a draft report. Currently, schools have only one working day to do this.

However, Ofsted is also planning to withhold the publication of inspection reports until it has responded to complaints.

Under the current system, the inspectorate gives schools 10 working days to complain but does not normally withhold inspection reports.

Ofsted has acknowledged that this has led to occasions where it has had to “take action after we have published a report when a complaint investigation highlights an error in the inspection process”.

The inspectorate is proposing to hold off on publishing the final report until after it has responded to a complaint - if the school makes its complaint within two days.

Tes revealed last year that Ofsted was taking a “hard look” at its complaints procedure because of concerns that it was outdated.

Chief inspector Amanda Spielman revealed this just weeks after the NAHT school leaders’ union called for the creation of a new independent review panel to consider complaints about “irrational or unfair” reports.

At present, if a complainant remains unhappy with Ofsted’s response, the last step of the process is an independent review of the inspection procedure.

Ofsted says this includes an external sector representative contributing to a panel discussion. It is proposing retaining this arrangement in the new system.

However, Mr Rollett said this procedure only provided recommendations about the way Ofsted had handled a complaint and did not give schools access to an independent body that could overturn a judgement.

An Ofsted spokesperson said: “We would encourage anybody with a view on this to participate in the consultation.”