Ofsted inspections are not just “dreaded” by schools but also fail to provide useful information to parents, Labour’s shadow schools minister has said.
Catherine McKinnell was speaking at Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool as part of a panel discussing how the party should implement its planned Ofsted reforms if it comes to power.
Labour has previously said it would replace headline single-word inspection grades with a report card and also introduce annual safeguarding reviews.
Speaking today, Ms McKinnell pledged the plans would incorporate feedback from schools, parents, teachers and school staff.
And Labour would “bring multi-academy trusts into the remit of inspection because it’s clear that they drive much of what happens in their schools”, she said, reiterating a previous announcement.
Setting out why the party wanted to reform Ofsted, Ms McKinnell said: “It really does feel that we have a system currently where inspections aren’t just dreaded but ineffective - that they are adding to the recruitment and retention crisis in our schools.
“And they are providing very little useful information for parents.”
Ofsted reforms ‘in partnership with schools’
She declined to give a clear timescale for the changes, saying that, if Labour forms the next government, the hope is to bring them in “as soon as possible” and “in partnership with schools”.
The panel, chaired by Natalie Perera, chief executive of the Education Policy Institute think tank, also included Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union; Geoff Barton, departing general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders; and Jason Elsom, of Parentkind.
Mr Whiteman referred to the death of headteacher Ruth Perry, saying that there were “at least 10 other school leaders” whose Ofsted report was “in some way connected to tragedy for them and their families as well”.
He added: “But it’s not just the most extreme cases. If you talk about the health, particularly of school leaders and the torment that they go through.”
He described Ofsted’s brand as “hugely damaged” but not “beyond repair” under incoming chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver.
Ofsted has been approached for comment.
