Ofsted should carry out ungraded school inspections for interim period – union

Ofsted should carry out ungraded inspections for schools for an interim period to allow time for the watchdog to work on longer-term reform, a school leaders’ union has urged.

The NAHT school leaders’ union is calling on Ofsted to take some immediate steps to make inspection safer following the inquest into the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.

Mrs Perry killed herself after an Ofsted report downgraded her Caversham Primary School in Reading from its highest rating to its lowest over safeguarding concerns.

Now really is the moment for change. It is time to create a fair, proportionate and humane system of inspection that works for schools, pupils and parents alike

In December, senior coroner Heidi Connor concluded the Ofsted inspection on November 15 and 16 in 2022 “likely contributed” to Mrs Perry’s death.

Earlier this month, Sir Martyn Oliver, Ofsted’s chief inspector, announced that school inspections in England would be delayed at the start of term to ensure lead inspectors received mental health training, but they are set to resume from Monday next week.

A report by the NAHT calls on Ofsted to immediately create a mechanism for school leaders to halt an inspection where inspector conduct, or practice, fails to meet required standards.

Other immediate recommendations include extending the notice period schools receive for inspection to approximately 48 hours, and reverting to a model of interim ungraded inspections where a school’s strengths and weaknesses are instead set out in a short letter.

An NAHT survey, of 1,890 school leaders in England in September and October last year, found that only 3% support Ofsted’s continued use of single-word, or phrase, overarching judgments.

Nearly two in three (64%) school leaders said Ofsted inspectors should report their findings in a short, written summary of strengths and weaknesses.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “The tragic case of Ruth Perry last year shone a bright light on the desperate need for Ofsted reform.

“It has been immensely frustrating that the concerns of the education profession and the warnings raised by NAHT for so many years have fallen on deaf ears.

“Thankfully, the new chief inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, has signalled a welcome change in attitude, indicating his willingness to listen and to work with the profession.”

The NAHT report also sets out a number of recommendations for longer-term reform – such as the removal of headline overall effectiveness and supporting grades from inspection reports.

Mr Whiteman added: “The appointment of a new chief inspector is timely, not just so that the immediate changes needed to keep school staff safe can be made, but as a moment of significant opportunity – the chance to be bold and to stop and think about how we want school inspection to operate in this country.

“Now really is the moment for change. It is time to create a fair, proportionate and humane system of inspection that works for schools, pupils and parents alike.”

Sir Martyn has said Ofsted will respond in full to the prevention of future deaths report issued by the coroner at Mrs Perry’s inquest by Friday.