We welcome this consultation and are pleased that the new HMCI is willing to listen and engage with the sector and other stakeholders. Over the past few years, trust in the inspectorate has weakened. Although the 2019 Education Inspection Framework (EIF) was welcomed, its implementation has been flawed; particularly in a perceived subjectivity in inspection activity. 

Most school and college leaders report a positive experience of Ofsted. However, negative and variable experiences are too frequent. The impact of these on headteachers’ and leaders’ wellbeing cannot be overestimated.

Much of this comes down to anxiety when schools and colleges are expecting an inspection, rather than the inspection itself. As such, the perception of Ofsted may differ from the reality of current inspection. Nonetheless, this creates real anxiety in the system and is deeply concerning, particularly in the context of a teacher and leader recruitment and retention crisis.

Much of this anxiety is a result of graded judgements, and the regulatory impact of a poor judgement. We recognise that both these are government decisions, rather than in Ofsted’s gift to change, but were disappointed that a direct question on graded judgements was not included in the scope of this consultation. HMCI would have been in better position to make a powerful argument to parliament and to government for the removal of graded judgements, had this question been explicitly asked.

Full response to consultation