Commenting on the publication of Ofsted's Big Listen report,
NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach said:
"The Chief Inspector should be commended for being prepared to
invite feedback on how Ofsted it doing its job and to publish the
findings of that exercise. Now Ofsted needs to act to deliver the
change that is needed.
“We have been clear that in order to restore trust and
confidence, Ofsted must change.
“Today's report reveals evidence of deeply held concerns about
the negative impact of the current inspection and accountability
system on the work of teachers and headteachers.
“Where inspection interferes with the work of schools in meeting
the learning needs of their pupils, then it is right that the
rudiments of the inspection system are reviewed, revised and
rectified.
"It is also clear from today's report that the quality of the
inspection system cannot exceed the quality and consistency of
the inspectorate. Schools will want to see further progress to
ensure that inspection teams have the right balance of knowledge
and skills, up to date and recent experience of classroom
teaching, and that they are also held to account for their work.
"We do welcome the Chief Inspector's recognition of the need for
change to the inspection of multi academy trusts and to ensure
that all education providers are properly accountable to
supporting the work of schools.
“Moving to a school report card is a change that the
NASUWT also called for more than a decade ago. We welcome that
the Chief Inspector and the Government have accepted the need to
provide a balanced and fair assessment of the work of individual
schools.
“Whilst Ofsted can and should review its own practices, we will
also be pressing the government to reform the current
accountability system which continues to punish schools with the
threat and use of forced academisation when schools would benefit
from better resources and access to alternative forms of support.
"Schools and colleges should be helped to
improve rather than being named, shamed and condemned.
Ofsted and the government can and must work with the sector to
correct the current shortcomings in the inspection system and to
remedy the serious flaws in the current school and college
accountability regime."
