Welcome back to the start of a new school year. I hope you had an enjoyable and relaxing break.

The start of a new academic year is always a time for hope and optimism – a time for fresh starts. This year that is true not just in school, but also within the wider policy context in which schools operate.

Ofsted update

This week we have seen a swathe of Ofsted-related announcements. The most eye-catching is the news that from this September, the overall effectiveness grade will be scrapped.

There is no doubt that this is a very welcome move and a major step in the right direction by the new government. NAHT has led the campaign for the removal of Ofsted grades from the very start. As long ago as 2018, our accountability commission highlighted the problems caused by the use of one-word judgements, as well as the harm caused by an overly punitive accountability regime. However, it was the tragic death of Ruth Perry that meant those issues could no longer be ignored by Ofsted and the government, despite their very best efforts to deny anything was wrong. I pay tribute to Julia Waters and the rest of Ruth’s family for their bravery in turning Ruth’s death into a force for change. I am proud that we worked alongside the family and we shouldn’t underestimate the significance of achieving our joint ambition.

We are well aware that this does not solve everything, and we have been open about the fact that we would have liked the government to have gone further and remove subgrades as well. Nevertheless, it is important to see this as a first, interim step towards longer-term reform of inspection. Our task now is to work with the government to help build a fairer, more humane system of accountability as quickly as possible.

We are conscious that the announcement has raised a range of questions. This demonstrates how even apparently simple changes can have wide-ranging effects. These include the impact on section 8 inspections, inspections carried out last summer, and many more. School leaders will quite rightly need answers to those questions as quickly as possible – we are currently seeking those answers and will share details with members as soon as we have them. To help with this, Ofsted has announced that section 5 inspections (also referred to as ‘graded’ inspections) won’t begin until the week beginning 23 September 2024, with section 8 inspections (often known as ‘ungraded’ or short inspections) not beginning until 7 October 2024. This does give us some time to get answers to those key questions that have arisen out of the initial announcement.

The Big Listen and Dame Christine Gilbert’s review of Ofsted

Shortly after that announcement, we saw Ofsted release its response to the Big Listen exercise and Dame Christine Gilbert’s independent review.

We commented on both at the time of the release and you can read those comments in full. In short, Dame Christine has shone a spotlight on a number of significant long-standing failings within the inspectorate – read our summary of the report here. There is a sense of vindication for NAHT in this as many of the points she has raised are ones we have been highlighting for some time. In our response, we have been clear that the time for listening is now over and we expect to see Ofsted embark on an urgent programme of cultural and organisational reform.

Once again, school leaders have been proven right, and I want that fact to inspire every member to enter this year with a new-found confidence, particularly when it comes to inspection. For too long there has been a power imbalance between inspectors and school leaders, and this is the time for that to be addressed, one inspection at a time. Where poor practice occurs, we must call it out, and if doing so during an inspection does not address the issue, NAHT will not be afraid to step in to defend our members. 

While we continue to have major concerns about the validity of the Big Listen exercise due to the way many of the questions were framed, and believe that the results have limited value, there are a number of points to highlight in Ofsted’s response. The one that will perhaps have the most immediate impact is the announcement that Ofsted is trialling a new approach whereby notification of all routine inspections will only take place on a Monday. We have broadly welcomed this move as another helpful interim step, meaning that if leaders haven’t had the call on Monday, they know that they don’t have to worry about it for the rest of the week. Read NAHT's full response here.

While such moves are helpful, we remain focused on the need for fundamental long-term reform and a completely new way of inspecting schools that reduces the pressure and stress for all involved. This will remain a high priority for us in the year ahead.

As I said at the start of this message, I believe there are clear signs of hope for the year ahead. The pathway to progress will not always be smooth and there will be times when compromise is inevitable. That being said, the removal of headline Ofsted grades is a significant and symbolic moment and sets the tone for the coming year.

I wish you a successful and positive start to the new school year.