School unions welcome inspection pause

Unions representing teachers and school leaders have welcomed the announcement by the incoming chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver, that there will be a pause in Ofsted school inspections to allow for proper training in dealing with mental health and wellbeing. Education unions had demanded a pause in the inspections following publication in December 2023 of the coroner’s findings, Ruth Perry: Prevention of future deaths report. The primary school headteacher took her own life in January 2023, two months after an Ofsted inspection downgraded her school from "outstanding" to "inadequate".

“This announcement shows that the new chief Inspector has a greater understanding of the problem,” said NAHT school leaders’ union general secretary Paul Whiteman. “Allowing time for training is a positive signal. Next, Sir Martyn needs to agree with the profession immediate steps that will bring sufficient confidence to allow time to develop much needed long-term reform.”

NEU teaching union general secretary Daniel Kebede said the “pause should be the start of a root and branch reform of school inspection”.

“Our present system is inconsistent, unfair and unsuccessful in promoting school improvement,” he added. “Ofsted is a harmful presence in our schools and needs to be replaced with a collaborative system that truly reflects a rounded picture of the work of schools. ”