Four out of five teachers do not want Ofsted to return to routine inspections at all next year, a Tes survey has revealed.

And 20 per cent of teachers responding said that the inspectorate should never come back after inspections were halted by the Covid-19 outbreak earlier this year.

The findings come from a Tes poll that gathered responses from more than 4,000 teachers in England.

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Many teachers responding said that routine inspection should not return until a vaccine for Covid-19 is found.

When asked when full inspections should return, the most common answer was September of next year - chosen by 36 per cent of respondents.

Another 24 per cent said that Ofsted should not carry out routine inspections of schools for at least two academic years and not return before September 2022.

And a fifth said they did not want the watchdog to return at all.

Ofsted will start going back into schools from the end of this month for visits to check how well pupils are being supported to get back into education following the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

This week the inspectorate revealed that it could turn these visits into formal inspections if it had significant concerns about safeguarding or school leadership

But routine inspections are currently due to start again in January next term - with this date being kept under review.

The Tes poll shows there is major opposition within the profession to the idea of the inspectorate returning to normal this soon.  

A question about Ofsted’s return in our survey, carried out at the end of last term, received around 4,500 responses from teachers in England.

Many teachers who took part in the survey suggested schools should not have to deal with Ofsted inspections during the Covid-19 pandemic.

One said: “I think while we are under the threat of the virus and possible resurgences and local outbreaks, [Ofsted] should not come back in. Should we get to the position where we have no cases for a sustained period perhaps the following term.”

Another major theme in the responses was that judging schools so soon after the disruption caused by the coronavirus would be unfair.

One teacher said: “Schools will need a period of time after they return to normal, a normal school day will not be achievable until a vaccine is found. It would be incredibly unfair to judge any school still working in difficult circumstances that are beyond their control.”

Another added: “The knock-on effects of children out of school will go far beyond this year making inspections unfair. Schools need to focus on children, not inspection measures.”

Only a small percentage were supportive of the watchdog returning to full inspection in the current academic year.

Three per cent supported Ofsted inspection starting next term, 5 per cent said after Christmas - which is when Ofsted is expected to return - and 4 per cent backed inspectors to start again from Easter 2021.

Eight per cent of those responding said they didn’t know.

Ofsted has declined to comment on the survey findings.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We are not surprised that most teachers don’t want to see the resumption of routine Ofsted inspections in the forthcoming academic year.

“It reflects the fact that inspections just don’t feel like the right priority in the circumstances of managing complex safety protocols and supporting children to catch-up with learning.

“We would urge Ofsted to keep its plans to return to a full inspection regime in January 2021 under review and see how the situation evolves over the coming weeks.”

Jules White, a secondary head and leader of the WorthLess? school funding campaign said: “We have said that Ofsted should not resume normal inspection at all this year.

“Ofsted should be redeployed in a completely different way to support schools and share best practice.

“As school leaders, we are looking to education’s political leadership to give us a steer and show they understand what we are facing but having just one term without inspection before Ofsted return in full makes you feel that they have no understanding of what we are facing at all.”