Ofsted Under Fire as England Headteachers Say New Inspection System Is Hurting Staff Wellbeing and Schools
The new inspection system for schools in England is worrying school leaders and teachers, and is now being raised as a wider issue of how pressure on schools might impact on children’s education and wellbeing.
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) claims its members are under greater stress and anxiety as a result of the inspection system which was introduced a year ago. The union has urged Ofsted to suspend its grading of schools until the system is reviewed.
Claypool Primary School in Bolton was described by headteacher Amanda Hulme as having had the most stressful inspection of her career. She said the experience affected her sleep and caused her blood pressure and pulse rate to increase.
Hulme also stated that the stress had taken its toll on some of her school team, with some staff members rethinking their leadership positions and others considering leaving the profession.
Children’s concerns about staff wellbeing are important because teachers and school leaders are key to establishing safe, stable and supportive learning environments. If experienced teachers leave the profession, this may impact on staff retention and the consistency of support available to children if they leave due to continued pressure on education staff.
Before and after inspections, school leaders and teachers were being left “anxious, overwhelmed and demoralised”, NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said. The union has requested that the school grading system be suspended until it can be evaluated.
However, Ofsted reported that it had received feedback from many school leaders that inspections are now more collaborative and constructive. The inspectorate will also be conducting independent research on the effectiveness of the new system, which will be published.
The debate follows an inquest which concluded that an Ofsted inspection played a role in the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. Since then, Ofsted has added further training for inspectors and has made it a requirement for inspectors to seek the views of school leaders on their wellbeing during inspections.
The experience of teachers and school leaders is closely tied to the learning, development and participation environment of children as the review debate continues.
