NAHT Urges Halt to Ofsted Grades After 1 Year, Warning of Risk to Life
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 20
NAHT Urges Halt to Ofsted Grades After 1 Year, Warning of Risk to Life
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 20
Summary
Nearly a year after Ofsted’s report-card system was rolled out, the NAHT said graded inspections should be paused because member evidence shows worsening mental-health strain on school leaders.
Union testimonies described heads as overwhelmed, anxious and facing “higher stakes than ever before,” with one Bolton head teacher calling a recent inspection the most stressful of her career.
The NAHT has shared cases with Education Secretary Lucy Powell and says a recent member survey found a majority believed inspections had worsened over the past 12 months.
Ofsted said it developed the system with unions and parents to reduce pressure and will keep grading schools despite the union’s call for a fundamental review.
The dispute follows reforms made after head teacher Ruth Perry’s death; NAHT wants England to consider narrative-only models already used in Wales and Northern Ireland.