The blueprint for school inspection in England has been set out by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), which represents more than 35,000 school leaders.
It comes as school inspections are due to restart on Monday (January 22) after being suspended to allow for urgent mental health training for inspectors following the damning Ruth Perry inquest verdict.
Interim steps proposed by the NAHT include reverting to ungraded inspections, like those conducted at the height of the pandemic, for all schools except those causing concern. During this period, inspections should move to 48-hour notice periods, too.
There must also be a “mechanism” for school leaders to halt an inspection “where inspector conduct, or practice fails to meet required standards”.
The proposed interim system would operate while Ofsted implements longer term reforms, including the removal of one-word judgements – both for the overall and supporting grades – and a move towards a “deeper diagnostic analysis of the strengths and areas for development of a school”.
Inspection reports should also be reformed, the NAHT suggests, saying that they have become “overly simplistic and generic”. They should “contain more detailed information about a school’s strengths and areas for development, with clear recommendations about specific areas for improvement”.
It adds: “The content of reports should be more reflective of inspectors’ verbal feedback, which leaders often report as being more useful.”
In December, the inquest into the death of headteacher Ruth Perry ruled that the November 2022 inspection of her school “lacked fairness, respect and sensitivity”, was at times “rude and intimidating”, and had “contributed” to her suicide.
On Friday (January 19), Ofsted is due to submit its response to the coroner’s prevention of future deaths notice setting out what changes it proposes to make in response to the ruling.
The new chief inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, has already suspended inspections until January 22 in order to put inspectors through emergency mental health training.
The teaching profession is now waiting to see what further reforms Ofsted proposes.
The NAHT blueprint argues that the creation of single inspection framework to cover all Ofsted inspections no matter what phase or age “has not worked” and says that “dedicated, discrete inspection frameworks and methodologies are needed across the different school phases, types and specialisms”.
It adds that Ofsted has “overstepped” the role of an inspectorate with its current framework focused heavily on curriculum design and delivery.
It adds: “A new inspection framework must not be used to prescribe or define specific approaches to curriculum planning or delivery, as the current one does. Nor should it be used to enforce any particular pedagogical viewpoint.
“Ofsted’s role is to inspect what a school does, not test a school’s adherence to a pre-defined approach to teaching and learning.”
It continues: “Alongside this, there must be a full review of the inspection methodology, including how inspectors decide the initial focus for an inspection and how evidence is gathered. As others have noted, too often inspectors attach too much importance to individual pieces of evidence or focus on seeking out evidence to confirm their working hypotheses.”
Elsewhere, the blueprint proposes separating administrative safeguarding checks from inspection, suggesting “some form of administrative annual assessment or review” instead.
It also wants a better complaints system that schools can trust, and which ultimately leads to independent adjudication: “A graduated complaints process is required, culminating in a wholly independent complaints body, which is able to overturn inspection judgements and make binding recommendations on the inspectorate.”
A survey of 1,890 NAHT members, published alongside the blueprint, shows that 97% support the removal of single-word judgements. Furthermore, 64% supported the idea of Ofsted inspectors reporting their findings in a “short, written summary of strengths and weaknesses”.
Ultimately, 78% said that they have no confidence that inspectors can “fully understand and accurately evaluate” a school in the time they spend on site.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, said: “The tragic case of Ruth Perry 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.
“NAHT’s report includes some immediate actions Ofsted needs to take – some of which, Sir Martyn is already considering. But more is needed, urgently, and NAHT will continue to work with Ofsted to build a safe inspection system that is fit for purpose.
“Now really is the moment for change. It is time to create a fair, proportionate and humane system of inspection.”
- NAHT: Rethinking school inspection, 2024: http://tinyurl.com/yc6fxw6h