Coalition warns Powell over 'psychological harm' of Ofsted inspection

Lucy Powell has been urged to intervene over the Ofsted system by a sector coalition that warns inspection is causing “psychological harm” and is a health and safety risk.

The “Ofsted Coalition” has written to the education secretary to urge her to address what it describes as a “high-stakes, low-reliability and insufficiently accountable system”.

It calls for a health and safety risk assessment of the Ofsted inspection framework, as well as a reformed complaints process and “meaningful external accountability” for the schools watchdog.

The letter warns that psychological harm should not be a consequence of the accountability system.

Tes revealed yesterday that Ms Powell has written to one of the largest headteacher unions vowing to work with Ofsted to move away from what she admitted was a “high-stakes and low-trust” system.

Ofsted report cards ‘haven’t resolved’ concerns

The inspectorate has come under increased pressure in recent weeks amid concerns about its latest inspection framework.

Both unions and politicians have voiced warnings about the system, and a Tes investigation revealed that secondary schools with higher intakes of children with special educational needs are disproportionately more likely to receive a lower grade across all the main evaluation areas in the report card framework, including for inclusion.

The coalition that has written today’s letter includes headteachers, multi-academy trust CEOs, academics and former senior Ofsted inspectors.

While the group welcomed the decision to remove overall single-word effectiveness judgements in 2024, it argues that this did not address the “serious underlying problems of a high-stakes, low-reliability and insufficiently accountable system”.

“The new system has largely changed the presentation - and multiplied the number - of judgements, without resolving fundamental questions about safety, fairness, reliability, effectiveness, proportionality, power and accountability,” it continues.

‘Health and safety risks’

The letter also raises concerns about reports of school leaders experiencing “acute distress and suicidal ideation” following Ofsted inspections.

It recommends that these risks should be formally assessed and managed as health and safety risks, with “effective preventative measures, transparent monitoring and independent oversight”.

“Under no circumstances should anyone accept acute psychological harm - or, ultimately, suicide - as an unfortunate but inevitable consequence of accountability”, the coalition says.

Earlier this year an independent group was set up to monitor the impact of the new inspection framework on teacher wellbeing.

Recruitment and retention warning

The coalition also says that the current inspection regime is fuelling recruitment and retention difficulties.

In a survey by the NEU teaching union, 26 per cent of members who responded said their recent experience of inspection had made them want to leave the profession.

The coalition’s letter adds: “The extreme pressure and perceived unfairness of the current inspection regime are actively driving talented professionals out of the education sector.”

It warns that a system that “burns through its most valuable resource simply cannot support school improvement”.

‘Meaningful external accountability’

The coalition is calling for a formal and independently scrutinised assessment and management of the health and safety risks associated with inspection.

It also wants an independent complaints adjudication that provides “effective redress, including the ability to require an unsound inspection finding to be corrected, withdrawn or, where appropriate, replaced through reinspection”.

Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver recently wrote to the Commons Education Select Committee to inform it of an upcoming pilot scheme that will allow schools to seek a review of how their complaint was handled by Ofsted.

The coalition concludes its letter with a call for “meaningful external accountability for Ofsted and its response to the substantial evidence already available”.

Ofsted and the Department for Education have been approached for comment.