Findings from NAHT’s latest member survey into school inspection in England show that school leaders believe a wholly new approach to inspection is needed but have little confidence that Ofsted can deliver this. 
 
Our new report Resetting the relationship: Ofsted reform shows that more than nine in 10 of school leaders do not have confidence in Ofsted to design an effective new inspection framework. While the government’s interim changes to inspection have been welcomed, school leaders are clear that full system reform of inspection and the inspectorate is needed in the longer term.
 
More than three quarters of those we surveyed called for a completely new framework and inspection methodology – rejecting Ofsted’s plans to simply ‘evolve’ the current inspection system. Reports that the inspectorate might retain graded ‘key sub-judgements’ met strong opposition, with three quarters of school leaders believing this is the wrong course of action.
 
NAHT has been working intensively, away from the media spotlight, to impress upon the government and Ofsted the need to deliver radical change. We are clear that the forthcoming consultation must genuinely seek the views of the profession.
 
Read the Resetting the relationship: Ofsted reform report in full.

See our press release.