Commenting on the publication of Ofsted’s Big Listen report, NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach said:
"The Chief Inspector should be commended for being prepared to invite feedback on how Ofsted it doing its job and to publish the findings of that exercise. Now Ofsted needs to act to deliver the change that is needed.
“We have been clear that in order to restore trust and confidence, Ofsted must change.
“Today’s report reveals evidence of deeply held concerns about the negative impact of the current inspection and accountability system on the work of teachers and headteachers.
“Where inspection interferes with the work of schools in meeting the learning needs of their pupils, then it is right that the rudiments of the inspection system are reviewed, revised and rectified.
"It is also clear from today’s report that the quality of the inspection system cannot exceed the quality and consistency of the inspectorate. Schools will want to see further progress to ensure that inspection teams have the right balance of knowledge and skills, up to date and recent experience of classroom teaching, and that they are also held to account for their work.
"We do welcome the Chief Inspector’s recognition of the need for change to the inspection of multi academy trusts and to ensure that all education providers are properly accountable to supporting the work of schools.
“Moving to a school report card is a change that the NASUWT also called for more than a decade ago. We welcome that the Chief Inspector and the Government have accepted the need to provide a balanced and fair assessment of the work of individual schools.
“Whilst Ofsted can and should review its own practices, we will also be pressing the government to reform the current accountability system which continues to punish schools with the threat and use of forced academisation when schools would benefit from better resources and access to alternative forms of support.
"Schools and colleges should be helped to improve rather than being named, shamed and condemned. Ofsted and the government can and must work with the sector to correct the current shortcomings in the inspection system and to remedy the serious flaws in the current school and college accountability regime."
