Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a crackdown on underperforming schools, vowing a 'zero-tolerance attitude toward low expectations' as he targets more than 600 schools in England deemed 'stuck'. Writing in The Mirror, Starmer said 300,000 children attend these schools, which are not bad enough for Ofsted intervention but fail to raise standards, with a widening gap between London and the rest of the country.
The government unveiled a new Ofsted 'report card' system to replace one-word verdicts, grading schools across at least eight areas including leadership, curriculum, behaviour, and inclusion. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the reforms mark 'a new era on school standards', with a brighter searchlight on poor performance to benefit disadvantaged pupils.
However, the plans face backlash from teaching unions and the family of headteacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life in 2023 after an Ofsted inspection. Professor Julia Walters, Perry's sister, warned the new system 'retains many dangerous features' and introduces new risks to staff wellbeing. Union leaders criticised the proposals as worse than the current system, with NAHT's Paul Whiteman calling them 'long past their sell-by date'.
Ofsted chief Sir Martyn Oliver defended the report cards as 'fairer and more proportionate', comparing them to a child's school report that highlights strengths and areas for improvement. The government insists the changes will drive up standards and end the era of weak accountability.
