Call for the delay of Ofsted’s disastrous proposals

Ofsted causes more harm than good, and we need urgent and fundamental reform.

Despite the delays and repeated warnings from across the education sector, from suicide prevention experts to serving headteachers and beyond, Ofsted has failed to learn the lessons of Ruth Perry’s death.

The latest proposals announced at the start of term continue to pose a risk to the health and wellbeing of teachers and school leaders.

Ofsted’s consultation was rushed, and the inspectorate’s final proposals do not address the deep harms that inspection causes to our education system.  We believe the proposals risk making inspections less reliable and will worsen inspection driven pressures and workloads for school staff. Despite numerous calls from across the sector, there are still no plans to create an independent complaints and appeals process which means there are limited options for school leaders to address an inspection process that they believe has been carried out unfairly or inappropriately.

To add insult to injury, schools are being given only weeks to process the implications of an entirely new system – which will only add to the stress and anxiety too many school leaders are already battling.

We urge you to write to your MP today, urging them to call on the Education Secretary to delay the roll out of Ofsted’s proposed reforms and work with the profession to create a new system – one that is supportive, effective and fair.