Nihad Ćehić
The government has announced today that Ofsted will remove single-word judgements. All single-word overall school inspection grades will be eliminated immediately and a new scorecard system will be introduced next year to assess school performance. This change is part of a major reform effort and the new school report cards promised in Labour’s manifesto will be implemented in September 2025. Schools will maintain their current grades until they are re-inspected by Ofsted and the government will seek feedback from the education sector on the new report-card model. In the meantime, schools inspected from September will only receive grades in four existing sub-categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.
How will this impact on teacher workload?
Ofsted Grades: How will they work?
The Department of Education stated that it will uphold its legal obligation to step in and support schools that are not performing well. This includes issuing orders to improve and giving warning notices for termination. Ofsted will still be obligated to identify schools that are deemed to be “causing concern” and notify the education secretary, according to the Department for Education. Schools that had received two “requires improvement” ratings under the previous grading system and were in the process of converting or transferring before Christmas will still need to follow through with those arrangements.
School Standards
The government stated that the change was intended to improve the quality of education in schools by replacing a system that they believe does not accurately assess school performance in various areas. They mentioned that only a minority of parents and teachers support the current system, with low percentages of professionals (29%) and parents (38%) in favour of single-word assessments for overall effectiveness.
Bridget Phillipson, the Education secretary, stated that eliminating the use of headline grades is a significant change that will benefit children, parents, and teachers. She explained that these grades provided limited information for parents, while having a high impact on schools. Previously, Ofsted would assign one of four grades to schools: “outstanding”, “good”, “requires improvement”, or “inadequate”.
More Supportive Accountability
Previously, schools that were deemed as ‘Requires Improvement’ twice would be monitored by inspectors. After 2.5 years they would also receive a new graded inspection. However, now that Ofsted have removed single-word judgements, schools that are scheduled for transfer or conversion after Christmas will receive specialised assistance from a “high-performing school” instead. If a school is identified as having weaknesses in certain areas starting from September, but is not deemed to be causing significant concern, it will also receive support from a high-performing school. Additionally, from early 2025, schools in this category will also have the option to receive support from newly established regional improvement teams, although the specifics of this support have not yet been defined.
Ofsted Report Card
The Labour party promised to implement a report-card system in place of single-word evaluations and conduct an annual safeguarding check during the recent general election. This check would review attendance and off-rolling. The ASCL recommended a similar system in a recent discussion paper that the scoring system for schools should be adaptable and founded on a concise set of guidelines, promoting teamwork over rivalry. Following the tragic death of headteacher Ruth Perry, there has been increasing demand for reform within the education sector. Ms. Perry tragically committed suicide after her school, Caversham Primary School in Reading, was downgraded by Ofsted due to safeguarding issues.
A more Equitable Assessment of Schools
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, expressed approval for the changes made to the inspection system, stating that it was a positive first step towards creating a more fair and compassionate approach to school inspections. However, he noted that the union would have preferred if the government had gone further by eliminating sub-judgements from inspections as well. Whiteman emphasized the importance of ensuring that the grades are not used as substitute measures, as this could perpetuate the negative consequences of high-stakes inspections. Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of ASCL, welcomed the immediate removal of single-word headline grades, describing them as damaging and counterproductive. However, he cautioned that the real challenge would be to ensure that the new system implemented is not flawed like the previous one. Professor Julia Waters, sister of Ruth Perry and leader of a campaign for inspection reform, expressed delight and relief that the government had finally taken this crucial and long overdue step.
Transition to a more Sophisticated Accountability System
Steve Rollett, the deputy CEO of the Confederation of School Trusts, expressed concerns about Ofsted’s use of single-phrase overall judgments, stating that the risks may outweigh any benefits. He welcomed the decision as the beginning of a longer process to recalibrate how accountability is carried out in education. He believes that this announcement could lead to a more intelligent model of accountability that accurately reflects the complexity of educational organizations. The Department for Education will provide more details on the new Regional Improvement Teams at a later date.
Leaders are Happy with the Situation, However, it is Important to have all the Necessary Details
Sector leaders have reacted positively to the changes overall, but some have expressed the need for more information regarding the replacement of one-word assessments. They have also pointed out the potential for confusion with multiple grades. Seamus Murphy, the CEO of Turner Schools, stated that while they are pleased with the government’s decision to eliminate single-word assessments, the specifics of report cards are essential. He also mentioned that without significant curriculum reforms, too many children are being labelled as failures and are unable to access high-quality education and training. On the other hand, Tom Campbell, CEO of E-Act, noted that the sector is in favour of the changes. It is necessary to comprehend how this will impact the way schools are inspected, and to tackle the concerns raised by the education sector regarding the quality and uniformity of inspections.
Impact on Teacher Workload?
Ofsted is often accused of having a trickle-down affect on teacher workload. With school leaders stressed about performance, pressure trickles down to teachers and then to students. Will the softening of their approach reduce workload for teachers on the front line?
This remains to be seen, but it is surely a positive step in the right direction. A lower pressure environment, alongside meaningful techniques to reduce teacher workload will hopefully help us to retain more high quality teachers and attract new talent to this wonderful profession.
