Ofsted is finally on the right path – but it still has a long way to go

On what for many children was back-to-school week, the new head of Ofsted has been showing welcome signs of a willingness to learn.

Sir Martyn Oliver held a meeting with Professor Julia Waters, the sister of the much-loved headteacher Ruth Perry who took her own life after a bruising Ofsted inspection in which her school was rated as “inadequate”.

A coroner concluded that the inspection “likely contributed” to the death of Ms Perry, whose family said “urgent lessons” needed to be learned. And how: colleagues and family members told the inquest that meetings with Ofsted inspectors had left her so distressed that at times she was unable to speak.

In the wake of these damning findings, one of Sir Martyn’s first decisions was to bow to pressure from unions and others to suspend inspections. Ofsted staff have now been sent back to school to learn how to better manage the wellbeing of those they are inspecting.

“This training is not just a one-off – it is part of a series that will significantly upskill all of our inspectors,” said Sir Martyn, who has made an encouraging start. But this has been a long time coming.

In my experience, inspections are anything but constructive. I’m the son of a teacher. I’m married to a former member of that profession. I have also served as a school governor and have spent my life around the teaching profession. I know many people still working in it. Based on all that, while it pains me to say so, what happened to Ms Perry did not surprise me.

I’ve seen friends, relatives, partners, all wrecked by Ofsted’s work, even when its reports have ultimately turned out well for them. I’ve watched people I love emerging from the process hollow-eyed and broken.

The National Association of Headteachers, whose members are the school leaders at the sharp end of this, is currently preparing a report on how it believes inspections should be reformed. I hope it is radical. It needs to be. A recent survey of its members found nearly half had sought professional support for their mental health or wellbeing. That is a significant number. Seeking professional support is an action, not an opinion. We should take note. That so many heads are in that position should worry us.

Sir Martyn’s recent actions have suggested that perhaps, after a succession of Ofsted leaders have talked at and wagged their fingers at teachers and school leaders, he is on the right track. I hope so. As a parent, I want to see schools with teachers who are excited about and engaged in their profession, because that will translate into children who are excited about and engaged in their education. And education is vital. It has never been more so.

Teachers and school leaders who are already worn out by the first half-term break aren’t going to be in a position to engage with anyone or anything beyond Netflix, much less inspire their students.

Small wonder that they are leaving the profession in their droves and not being replaced. Last month Philip Nye, a data scientist at the Institute for Government (IfG), told MPs on the education committee: “It’s fair to say I think recruitment to ITT [initial teacher training] is at crisis levels.” His view was borne out by the Department for Education’s own figures which showed that just 59 per cent of its target for secondary subject trainees was reached in 2022-23, down from 79 per cent in 2021-22.

Ofsted has only added to schools’ problems at a time when they have been left to grapple with a string of additional crises – behaviour, attendance and the failing mental health of pupils among them – left over from the pandemic.

Not for nothing did NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman describe the organisation as “broken” after another survey of its members found 85 per cent were “unconfident” or “very unconfident” in the organisation.

Frankly, if it were down to me, I’d scrap it and start over. Yes, school standards are important. But leaving school staff anxious and exhausted is not the way to address the myriad issues our education system faces.

It is high time for a rethink, and a reframing of inspections with the emphasis on providing support where areas of weakness are found and an end to the shaming and those one-size-fits-all grades that can have such devastating consequences for those on the wrong end of “inadequate”.

An interesting question for Sir Martyn, if he is set upon learning lessons: forget grading schools. How would you grade Ofsted? Honestly? Recent history would suggest “inadequate” would be entirely appropriate but, as I’ve said, we do rather need to move away from that type of thinking.