Union calls for halt to graded Ofsted inspections over health concerns

England's biggest school leaders' union has called for a halt to graded Ofsted inspections, saying they could pose a "risk to life" for school staff.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said the change to inspections, rolled out nationally just under a year ago, had been severely harmful to school leaders' welfare.

It said schools should instead be rated using short narrative reports that set out their strengths and areas they could improve.

Ofsted said it had worked closely with unions and parents to develop the new report card inspection system and that it would continue to grade schools.

Ofsted, England's schools inspectorate, introduced the report card system to replace its previous one or two-word judgements last November, following the death of head teacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life after Ofsted downgraded her school from "outstanding" to "inadequate".

An inquest ruled that an Ofsted inspection had contributed to her death in January 2023.

That led to a change in how Ofsted assessed schools, bringing in report cards designed to grade schools on several areas, rather than focusing on one overall grade.

But the new system has faced criticism since it was first proposed, with Perry's sister Prof Julia Waters saying it appeared to be "a rehash of the discredited and dangerous system it is meant to replace".

The NAHT issued a claim in the High Court for a judicial review over the changes, arguing there had not been adequate consultation on the new report cards before they were introduced, but this was rejected.

Nearly a year after it was fully rolled out, the NAHT said evidence from its members suggested the new system is having a detrimental impact on school leaders' mental health.

Testimonies seen by the BBC suggest head teachers are being left "overwhelmed" and "anxious", with the pressure caused by the inspections described as "intolerable".

Although the system had been changed with the intention of lowering the burden on school leaders, the testimonies say the inspection and assessment process had become "higher stakes than ever before".

Amanda Hulme, head teacher at Claypool Primary School in Bolton, said a recent inspection at her school had been "easily the most stressful experience" of her career.

"It was definitely damaging to my health and really quite distressing," she said.

"I couldn't sleep and it led to my blood pressure and pulse rate increasing.

"The effect on my team has also been significant, with some colleagues no longer wanting to pursue headship and another teacher considering leaving the profession entirely."

The NAHT said it had shared examples of some of the "damaging experiences" it said its members had faced with Education Secretary Lucy Powell.

Powell told LBC earlier this month that she took head teacher wellbeing "incredibly seriously" and that the system of accountability needed to be "supportive and understanding.

"I'll continue the work that I do with head teachers, head teacher representatives and others to make sure that we get this Ofsted framework, but also the culture and the whole regime, right," she said.

The NAHT said the results of a recent survey of its members suggested that the majority who responded felt that inspections had worsened in the past 12 months.

The union is now calling for inspections to pause to allow for a "fundamental review of how inspection works", drawing on examples from other nations.

In Wales, the inspectorate Estyn has removed judgements such as "excellent" and "good" from its reports, instead summarising findings by highlighting a school's strengths and areas for improvement.

Northern Ireland's Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) also uses narrative reports without grades.

Scotland's His Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HIME) does use grades, but there has been a recent consultation on their use.

NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said: "The clear theme emerging across all the feedback we have received is that this Ofsted framework is even more stressful than the one that preceded it.

"It poses a real and present danger to the well-being and mental health of school leaders and teachers, possibly even a risk to life."

He said he welcomed the new education secretary's focus on teacher wellbeing, adding: "Really fundamental changes to inspection are needed, and we stand ready to work with the new government to achieve that."

Ofsted said it had worked closely with teaching unions over the past three years to deliver significant reforms and reduce unnecessary pressure on teachers.

"Ofsted exists to raise standards for children and to provide clear reporting to parents," a spokesperson said.

"We will continue to engage closely with trades unions – but we will also continue to grade schools."