“We recognise the effort that Ofsted has made this year to repair the damage to its relationship with schools and colleges. The feedback we have received has been largely positive about an improvement to the tone of inspections. The removal of overall single-word graded judgements in school inspections has also been a big step towards a fairer and more proportionate inspection system.
“However, there is much work to do to ensure the new approach of using report cards to assess a school’s performance is implemented successfully. There are many different ways in which report cards could be designed and used, and it is essential that the Department for Education and Ofsted properly consult on different options. It is sensible and right to pilot any new approach, but we would question how genuine and open a consultation exercise really is if Ofsted will be simultaneously piloting their preferred approach.
“We are encouraging the government and Ofsted to take the time they need to make this much-needed change, and to take both schools and parents with them. This is too important to rush.”