Labour has announced plans to overhaul school inspections in England, replacing Ofsted's current grading system with a 'report card' approach. Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson is set to unveil the policy at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) conference in Birmingham, arguing that the existing system is 'high stakes for staff but low information for parents'.
Under the proposed changes, ratings such as 'outstanding' and 'inadequate' would be abolished. Instead, a new report card would provide detailed information on a school's performance across various areas, including behaviour, management, and quality of education. Labour says the system would be developed in consultation with teachers and parents, and would also introduce annual safeguarding reviews to prevent long gaps between inspections.
School leaders have welcomed the proposals. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said the current grading system 'does more harm than good'. Geoff Barton, ASCL general secretary, described the ratings as 'too blunt' and praised the promise of annual safeguarding reviews, calling safeguarding 'the number one priority of everyone in education'.
The announcement comes amid ongoing tensions over teacher pay and strikes. Education secretary Gillian Keegan declined to address the ASCL conference, citing potential talks over the pay dispute. However, no negotiations have been scheduled, with Keegan insisting the National Education Union (NEU) cancel planned strikes before talks begin. Barton criticised the government's stance, saying 'talks are pretty meaningless if there is no prospect of an offer'.
