Education unions are warning that Ofsted cannot be trusted to reform itself, as headteachers continue to report feeling distressed after school inspections. Julia Waters, sister of a headteacher who committed suicide following a negative inspection, will call for deeper reforms of the inspectorate at the Labour party conference. While the government has announced the scrapping of single-word judgments, unions say Ofsted still operates with a culture of “fear and terror.”
The National Association of Head Teachers described recent evidence of traumatized headteachers as deeply concerning and called for a complete reset of the system. A governor at Eldon primary school in Preston recounted how an inspection had led to several staff members struggling with their mental health, with some even having suicidal thoughts.
In response, Ofsted stated that they had acted with empathy and professionalism, prioritizing the best interests of children even if the findings were uncomfortable for school leaders. Education unions argue that the crisis in recruiting and retaining teachers cannot be fixed without further reform of Ofsted. They are calling for a collaborative and supportive inspection system focused on improvement to replace the current regime.
The unions warn that the current system of fear and terror does not raise standards or benefit children. They stress the need for a more compassionate and fair inspection process to ensure the well-being of school staff and ultimately improve the education system.
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