MPs today launched an inquiry that will question Ofsted’s use of single-word gradings and examine the impact of school inspections on the wellbeing and workload of teachers and school leaders.
The Commons Education Select Committee has said its inquiry will look at the current Education Inspection Framework and explore whether the “ratings and feedback” the watchdog gives to schools is helping them to improve.
The inquiry has been launched after Ofsted has faced months of increased scrutiny following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.
The family of the Berkshire headteacher have said she took her own life after an Ofsted inspection of her school, which downgraded it from “outstanding” to “inadequate”.
Yesterday, the inspectorate announced a raft of changes including depersonalising language in inspection reports describing areas of “weakness”. It also pledged to return more quickly to schools that were rated as “inadequate” but where safeguarding was the only area of weakness found.
Ofsted also said it would overhaul its complaints handling and give schools more of a steer about when they can expect inspection.
However, union leaders and Ruth Perry’s family have said that the proposed changes do not go far enough.
Launching the new inquiry, committee chair Robin Walker said: “Ofsted plays a crucial role in inspecting schools and ensuring that the quality of education remains high, this is important for parents, children and the schools system, but there has been a range of concerns raised about the way it works and the impact on teachers and leaders.”
He said the appointment of a new chief inspector later this year “provides a valuable opportunity to take a step back and assess how well the system is working”.
Mr Walker, who is a former schools minister, added: “We will want to look at what can be improved and how the system can respond to some of the concerns that have been raised about workload and pressure on leaders and teachers.”
There is ‘a feeling that inspections place a high burden on school staff’
Mr Walker added that despite a “growing political consensus” that Ofsted has an important part to play, this year had seen “a notable groundswell of criticism” towards it.
This, he said, had stemmed from “a feeling that inspections place a high burden on school staff, and a view that one-word ratings do not always fully capture the quality of teaching and care that a school provides to children from a range of backgrounds”.
He added: “Ofsted plays a particularly vital role when it comes to safeguarding, but ensuring that inspections are proportionate, timely and reasonable is essential to build trust, especially after the tragic passing of headteacher Ruth Perry.
“Some have argued that Ofsted’s role should be expanded to provide more support to schools that need to improve, amid concerns around the impact that receiving a negative rating can have on a school’s morale and reputation.
“It is vital that Ofsted is clear in its role as an independent inspectorate and that it can respond to serious concerns properly when they are raised, which is why we will also want to look carefully at its complaints process.”
Addressing a separate session of the Commons Education Select Committee on Tuesday, Ms Spielman welcomed the launch of the new inquiry.
She said Ofsted was focused on how it “can contribute to reducing the pressure that is undoubtedly felt by school leaders around inspection”.
“I think it is fair to say that a great deal of that pressure does relate to the perceived consequences of inspection - it’s not just about the process itself,” Ms Spielman added.
Reacting to the committee announcement, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said: ”School leaders will welcome this inquiry into school inspections. NAHT will certainly be submitting evidence on behalf of our members.
“The changes already announced by Ofsted do not go far enough to address the concerns the profession has, or to mitigate the harm inspections can cause. It is becoming increasingly clear that there is an overwhelming desire for meaningful change.”
Mr Whiteman added that he hoped the committee ”will listen carefully to the experiences and concerns of the profession and help bring about much-needed change”.
Tom Middlehurst, curriculum, assessment and inspection specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We welcome this inquiry and in particular its focus on single-phrase judgements. While this has been an area of concern among school leaders for a long time, it has been brought sharply into focus following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.
“It is simply not right to label something as complex as a school or college with a single phrase, with major consequences for those involved. We know there are better ways to hold schools accountable and provide information for parents, which are both more accurate and less damaging to the mental health and wellbeing of teachers and leaders.”
Ofsted has been approached for comment.
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