Reforms to the inspection system are due to come into effect next month (Alamy)
3 min read
Any tragedies that occur after changes to the school inspection system will be the responsibility of the government and Ofsted, an education union has warned.
The National Association of Head Teachers told PoliticsHome that, despite risks associated with the planned reforms, “government and Ofsted are determined to plough on”.
Ofsted’s single-word judgements for school inspections were scrapped by the government last year following the case of Ruth Perry, a head teacher who took her own life after an inspection in 2023. An inquest later ruled that an Ofsted inspection of the school where she worked, Caversham Primary School, contributed to her death.
Her sister, Julia Waters, said the inquest had shown “the brutal inhumanity of the system of Ofsted inspections” and that “what happened to Ruth must never be allowed to happen again.”
Under the old system, Ofsted used single words like ‘outstanding’ and ‘inadequate’ to judge schools.
Under planned reforms, parents will receive new report cards that will use a colour-coded, five-point grading scale.
While the sector welcomed the promise of reform, there is concern that the proposed changes will only create more anxiety for headteachers.
Waters said the changes being brought forward are “really the old system with a few tweaks around the edges” and “not the radical reform that’s needed”.
In September, Ofsted published an independent well-being assessment of its revised framework, conducted by Sinéad McBrearty, the CEO of well-being charity Education Support, which warned that staff well-being could worsen as a result of the changes.
“We now have an independent evaluation of Ofsted plans by Sinead McBrearty that says that, at best, the new system continues with the same level of risk but in places will increase risk,” Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of NAHT, told PoliticsHome.
“Despite this, the government and Ofsted are determined to plough on. Both the department and Ofsted are therefore on warning from that report that any damage done to workers as a result, or worse, further tragedy sits on their shoulders.”
The union is considering whether to ballot members for industrial action over the reforms.
“The point is simply about health and safety,” Whiteman said, adding, “the current framework led to tragedy and is accepted to cause well-being problems in school”.
Kim Johnson, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, told PoliticsHome she was alarmed by Ofsted’s “determination to press ahead despite clear warnings”.
“Reform of the inspection regime represents a fundamental shift that poses real risks to the health and well-being of school leaders and teachers,” she said, adding that the proposals will “only deepen a high-stakes culture of fear rather than fostering genuine improvement”.
“The inspectorate has already lost the trust of the profession, and these reforms risk entrenching that distrust still further.
“This is ultimately about preventing avoidable harm — including the most serious outcomes — caused by a flawed inspection system that continues to prioritise pressure over people.”
On Tuesday, MPs on the education committee will question Ofsted Chief Inspector Sir Martyn Oliver in the first session since the new inspection framework was published.
Committee chair Labour MP Helen Hayes said they will question Martyn “on a range of themes related to the new inspection framework, including the independent well-being assessment”.
“We will continue to hold Ofsted to account as the new inspection framework is implemented,” Hayes said.
Ofsted has set out measures to address the recommendations from the McBrearty report, including introducing an additional inspector to school inspections, PoliticsHome understands. Professional supervision will also be delivered by the well-being charity Education Support and funded by the department.
Neither Ofsted nor the DfE chose to comment.
