Inspection

School leadership teams have been ‘breaking down’ over inspection pressures, National Governance Association survey finds

Because Ofsted was set up as a non-ministerial department, the oversight of it – and other bodies like Ofqual – is not as clear cut as you might think, explains Dennis Sherwood

Union also considers indicative ballot on industrial action if more is not done to mitigate the impact of inspection on wellbeing

An independent report into the new Ofsted framework offers positive signs that inspections are doing what they were designed to do, despite identifying areas to improve, argues Lee Owston

Despite Ofsted welcoming findings from an independent evaluation of its inspections, heads’ leaders question Sir Martyn Oliver’s claim that the watchdog is ‘on the right track’

Amid fierce criticism of its school inspections, Ofsted has been asked by education secretary Lucy Powell to go ‘back to the drawing board’. John Roberts assesses whether it can find a path out of this crisis

ASCL’s senior members are meeting this week to decide how to take ‘more assertive action’ over inspection concerns

The schools watchdog says it is continuing to develop a ‘renewed inspection framework’ for these providers, which have not been inspected since November 2025

The education secretary commits to further reforms to the schools watchdog, and defends Labour’s planned expansion of technical education

A coalition from schools sector urges the education secretary to provide ‘meaningful external accountability’ to Ofsted amid fears about teachers’ and leaders’ wellbeing

Education secretary says pressure caused by broader accountability system – with Ofsted a ‘core part of that’ – is ‘constantly’ on the government’s mind

Amid ongoing calls to rethink how Ofsted operates, a senior trust leader says it’s vital that school leaders are supported by the wider organisation before, during and after any inspection