The coronavirus pandemic has set the scene to “close” Ofsted and draw up plans for a new schools regulator, according to teachers responding to a Tes survey.

In the survey, 32 per cent of the 6.500 teachers who responded across England believe the inspectorate should never return following the suspension of its normal activities during the pandemic, and just 2 per cent believe it should continue with its plan to resume full inspections next term.

Teachers’ views on Ofsted’s future have hardened since the last Tes survey in September, when only 20 per cent said it should never come back.

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One primary head, who thinks full inspection should resume in September 2022 “at the earliest”, said: “At the moment this is simply not my school. Inspecting it would be pointless and unfair.

“This will remain the case until we have been back at school, working in a normal way, for a significant length of time. Until then, how can they make fair judgements? Of course, Ofsted are forever chomping at the bit, because they need to justify their existence.”

But other responses were more extreme.

A secondary school deputy head said “Time for a new regulator and total shake-up. The pandemic has proven that schools are so much more than league tables.”

And a teacher in a state secondary school said: “Ofsted should close. They have been useless in this crisis, I do not agree with the grading of teachers and schools. It is outdated, open to unfairness and not accurate.

Ofsted ‘creates a lot of stress in schools’

“If Ofsted try to observe my online lessons, I am sorry, I wouldn’t let them. They are not fit for the job they do, at all. They create a lot of stress in schools, and especially now with talk about starting inspections again.”

The survey asked: “When should Ofsted should resume full school inspections?” A total of 13 per cent of teachers said September, while 16 per cent said January 2022 and 30 per cent said September 2022.

Combined with the 32 per cent who want Ofsted gone for good, that makes a total of 91 per cent opposing the watchdog’s plan to resume full school inspections next term.

One state secondary teacher said: “Give us a chance to get things sorted, please”.

And a state primary teacher said: “I know of a secondary school that’s got Ofsted in doing pupils’ work scrutiny TOMORROW. How ridiculous!!! Teachers don’t need the stress on a normal day, let alone with a vicious virus lurking.”

It was announced in December that routine graded Ofsted inspections would be suspended until the summer term, and there have since been no updates to suggest a different return date.

Among teachers who said they were ready for inspections to return in September, one said: “But we need to rethink Ofsted and how they work, etc.”

A teacher at an independent special school said: “I think they should be inspecting schools now. They need to see how schools are operating in the pandemic in real time.”

Ofsted has been contacted for comment.