As Amanda Spielman, only the second non-teacher to take on the role of Her Majesty’s chief inspector of education, takes up her new job, one has to ask: where does Ofsted fit in now and where will it fit in in the future?

Over the past five years, the role and purpose of Ofsted has evolved significantly. Inspections have become much shorter, moving to two days. There is now only a 24-hour warning period, with heads receiving the phone call the day before, having previously being given a week to “get ready”.

Ofsted has turned into an auditor of standards: a checking service, if you will. Despite this, its judgments still carry a staggering weight. They can end careers, destroy the reputations of whole professional communities and cast a dark shadow for years.

Cold, hard and unmerciful

Those judgments are now based on data. It’s as simple as that. Yes, Ofsted still observes lessons (although now mostly parts of lessons), talks to students and interviews key stakeholders. But, in the end, if the data stands up to scrutiny, then there can only be one overall outcome: “good” or better.

On the same token, if the data falls down, then schools should be prepared to be labelled “coasting” at best, or “failing” at worst. Even if Ofsted sees incredible things on its visit - miraculous learning experiences, beautiful learning environments and well-drilled children - apart from some pleasant narrative in the final report, it won’t change the final judgment.

Numbers are the king.

As much as it’s good to witness the death throes of the one-off scheduled inspection with all its theatre, its replacement brings its own frustrating injustices. Data is black and white. It doesn’t come with any proviso about the character of the children in the cohort or the various adversities that may or may not have curtailed achievement. It’s cold, hard and unmerciful.

Not only that, but data trends rely on GCSE and A-level examinations that are fair and consistent, year on year. The calamitous changes to the content and form of assessments in various subjects and at various levels have led to increased numbers of appeals. Many have questioned how exam results can be used as a measure of the quality of a school or a set of teachers, if the exams themselves are so changeable.

More harm than good?

In this new reality, it has become the status quo for teachers to be more accountable than the students themselves. I have written before about the gradual blending of teachers into students, intrinsically linking both of them, despite the fact that they are separate entities. It seems that this will continue apace. Is it really possible to judge schools like you judge a business? Is it really feasible, or right for that matter, to use statistics on a spreadsheet to calculate the quality of education a particular school community delivers?

That is essentially what Ofsted is now being asked to do. To make judgments in this way. Its new boss, funnily enough, is a former accountant with no experience of being a teacher. Perhaps she is the perfect choice in this new reality?

Given all this, does Ofsted need to exist? Wouldn’t it be easier and cheaper to just say a school that gets X attainment and X progress is “good”? A set of benchmarks. I’m as concerned as anyone about a system purely based on results, but if that’s what the government wants, then use the huge amount of money saved from disbanding Ofsted to fund more teachers, TAs, better teacher training and bursaries for teacher sabbaticals. What is the point in this organisation? Should Ofsted turn into a professional-development agency? Or should it just be consigned to the dustbin of history?

Has Ofsted, as an organisation, institution and judge and jury, become irrelevant? To close Ofsted down would be revolutionary, yes, but is it really vital any more to the education of children in this country? Does it simply do more harm than good?

Thomas Rogers is a teacher who runs rogershistory.com and tweets at @RogersHistory

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