Ofsted: How might the new inspectorate system affect parents and teachers?

How might this Ofsted change affect the education system?

Transcript

00:00Well, there are further reforms down the line. The government have announced this morning

00:05that we're going to see a report card in September 2025, which will look at different aspects

00:11of the school life, not just the four categories we've got currently. So it might, for example,

00:17focus on attendance. It might, for example, go and focus on how well schools include the

00:21most vulnerable children. But we need to work with the government to make sure those changes

00:26that are going to happen the next five months are based on solid research and solid evidence.

00:32Bridget Philipson, the Education Secretary, said the need for Ofsted reform to drive high

00:37and rising standards for all our children in every school is overwhelmingly clear. The

00:41removal of headline grades is a generational reform and a landmark moment for children,

00:46parents and teachers.

00:48I think it's around the consistency of inspection. We still get, in some areas, inspectors that

00:55maybe give judgments which are too harsh. And we need to make sure any rogue inspectors

00:59who are not following the framework are weeded out. We need to make sure that the inspection

01:05system is seen as a partnership between schools and inspectors, because I've been inspected

01:09over 10 times in my 20 years as a headteacher, and the best inspections are done with the

01:15school and in partnership with the school, not done to the school.

01:19Has this news changed the attitudes of teachers at school today?

01:25I think it's a really positive first step from the new government. I briefed our staff

01:30this morning at a staff meeting, and they certainly feel that this is a step in the

01:34right direction. There's still lots more to go, but we need to make sure that we take

01:38that fear away from inspection, which is found not just amongst headteachers, but across

01:42all school staff. So this is definitely a good start and a step in the right direction,

01:47and a good signal of intent from the current government.