A campaign to pause Ofsted is writing to every headteacher in England urging them not to work as inspectors until the system is reformed.

The Headteachers’ Roundtable says it wants to achieve a quiet revolution by getting school-based Ofsted inspectors to make themselves unavailable for work.

The campaign has already won the backing of the NEU teaching union, and now the two organisations are sending out a national letter to headteachers across the country.

Union: NEU backs call for members not to work for Ofsted

Tierney: Ofsted plays a part in driving teachers out

Exclusive: Union calls on inspectorate to pause its inspection changes

In the letter, the chair of the Headteachers’ Roundtable group, Stephen Tierney, says: “We cannot continue to simply complain about the latest framework - the problem is much greater than that. 

“We need to act together for the sake of our children, schools and communities. Please join our quiet revolution and #PauseOfsted.”

The letter says that heads who are employed as Ofsted inspectors should make themselves unavailable as inspectors and adds that “a number of colleagues have already decided they would prefer to resign as they can no longer support the current inspection regime”.

It calls on staff to write to their professional association or union asking them to support the call to #PauseOfsted and to “seek a fundamental review of the high stakes, cliff-edged accountability system”.  

The letter also asks heads to work with governors and directors, to no longer support applications from current employees for time away from school to carry out inspections or for new applications to be Ofsted inspectors.

The Headteachers’ Roundtable group has already won the backing of the NEU.

And the NAHT school leaders’ union is said to be set to discuss the pause Ofsted campaign at its national executive committee.

However, the Association of School and College Leaders has said it is not supporting the call for members not to make themselves available as Ofsted inspectors.

An Ofsted spokesperson said: “Our independent inspections of schools are trusted and valued by parents.

“Most teachers and heads find the inspection process positive and use it to improve their school. Ideological opposition to school inspection doesn’t serve parents, pupils or teachers well and we continue to have useful discussions about the feedback on the inspection framework with the recognised leadership unions.”

In the new letter, Mr Tierney says: “We believe that the education system in England does need a regulatory framework that sets a minimum standard expected of our schools. This framework should enable all schools to meet the expected standard.

“The current regulator massively overuses the blunt instrument of inspection with limited evidence of reliability, too much variability between inspection teams and invalid conclusions which more closely correlate to the socio-economic intake of the school rather than its effectiveness.

“Little or no weighting is given to the very different budgets schools receive.”

He adds that “Ofsted or its successor” needs to use a broader range of regulatory tools choosing the most appropriate one for the purpose required.