Ofsted school inspection shake-up will include one major change
The impact of Ofsted’s new school inspection system on the mental health of headteachers will now be monitored following an agreement with the watchdog.
Ofsted and school leaders’ union NAHT will collaborate to assess how the updated report card system affects the wellbeing of headteachers.
The move comes after NAHT repeatedly raised concerns and Ofsted rescinded single-word decisions in 2024 amid criticism of the framework following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.
Miss Perry committed suicide after an Ofsted report downgraded the Berkshire primary school from its highest rating of “outstanding” to its lowest rating of “inadequate” due to safeguarding concerns.
NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said: “It is crucial that we have independent data that provides open and honest feedback from leaders with audit experience.
“We look forward to working with Ofsted and (Department for Education) officials through the new advisory group to ensure the welfare of the school leader is prioritized and action is taken to support and protect them before, during and after the inspection process.”
Ofsted and the DfE will be members of an advisory group set up by the NAHT that will review data on the rollout and welfare of the new inspection system.
The group will be chaired by Sinead McBrearty, chief executive of charity Education Support, which has independently reviewed the new system and warned it would cause further anxiety for leaders.
Sir Martyn Oliver, Ofsted’s chief inspector, said the watchdog was keen to use the data to see where improvements could be made.
“We want to get feedback, make improvements and work together to ensure a better future for children,” he added.
The new report cards are available from November 2025.
NAHT’s bid to launch a legal challenge against Ofsted’s new system for grading schools was rejected in the High Court last year.
An NAHT survey last month found that almost one in two (45 per cent) of school leaders said they needed mental health support in the past year.
