Responding to the news that Ofsted will be trialling a new approach to inspections from next term Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union, NAHT said:

“It makes no sense for Ofsted to start trialling a new approach to inspection before it has even launched its consultation. The whole point of a consultation should be to seek views on a range of different options before trialling or piloting commences. Given that nothing has been published and the new approach is still being designed, school leaders will be left wondering what exactly is being trialled. We have said all along that this process is being rushed unnecessarily and this only serves to reinforce that view.

“School leaders will be left concerned that Ofsted has a preconceived view of what their new inspection approach will look like and that any consultation will only be used to make peripheral changes, at best. Whilst school leaders are supportive of the changes made by government to inspection so far, Ofsted and the DfE must now demonstrate that they are prepared to engage in a genuine consultation. We are clear that nothing short of fundamental reform is required.”