Detailed discussions have been held about how a Labour government would radically reform Ofsted as part of its plan for local, democratic accountability of schools, Tes can reveal.
The party’s policy chiefs have been talking about how to change the current system over concerns about its reliability and the impact it has on workload and teacher retention, it is understood.
There has been union pressure to make a big statement by abolishing Ofsted. But that could leave the party that has already pledged to get rid of Sats open to accusations that it was weak on standards and school accountability.
“They are looking at this issue in some detail,” said one source with knowledge of the Labour talks on Ofsted. “They are poring over it.
“I think they got their fingers burned on Sats when the leader’s office stormed in and made an announcement without being able to say what they would replace it with.”
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Tes understands that options for Ofsted and school inspection are being considered as part of the party’s National Policy Forum discussions about Labour’s planned new national education service.
Mary Bousted, the joint general secretary of the NEU teaching union, who has repeatedly called for Ofsted to be abolished, was asked to give evidence about school inspection to the forum earlier this year.
Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has already said publicly that the current school inspection regime needs reform.
There have been rumours that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn could make an announcement on school inspection a key point in his annual conference speech later this year. And Labour has already committed to making major changes.
In response to the education skills group’s thinktank report earlier this year calling for Ofsted grades to be scrapped, Ms Rayner said: “The current school inspection regime is not fit for purpose and needs radical reform to ensure that it puts the needs of students first.
“This report highlights that the current system is too often unreliable and inconsistent while driving high levels of workload in schools at a time when teachers are already under huge pressure as a result of Tory cuts, with many leaving the profession altogether.”
Dr Bousted said: “I gave a presentation to Labour’s National Policy Forum earlier this year where we made it clear that tinkering around the edges will not work.
“I talked about our concerns about the unreliability and invalidity of Ofsted inspection judgements, how it affects recruitment and retention and the damage it does to schools in challenging areas.
“I would welcome Labour committing to reforming school inspection because it is an area which needs major reform.”
The union leader said she was not opposed to school inspection but said the system needed to change.
“We need a system which improves education and doesn’t make it impossible to be a leader in a challenging school for more than five years.”
Ofsted and the Labour party have been approached for comment.