Nursery World - MPs call for Ofsted to end single-word inspection judgements

MPs have called for a review into Ofsted’s single-word inspection judgements for schools, such as 'requires improvement' or 'outstanding', in a wide-ranging report by the Education Select Committee on the role of the inspectorate in schools.

The MPs' report notes concerns around the stress and anxiety experienced by school staff due to the ‘high-stakes’ nature of Ofsted inspections PHOTO Adobe Stock

It is one of a series of recommendations made following the inquiry, which finished just weeks after the conclusion of the inquest into the death of primary school headteacher Ruth Perry, and the start of Sir Martyn Oliver’s term as Ofsted chief inspector, who is leading the response.

Responding to concerns that inspections were not long enough to give an accurate picture of a school, the report recommends they should be more in-depth and take longer but take place less frequently.

It suggests they take place every five to six years for 'good' and 'outstanding' schools, and three to four years for schools judged 'requires improvement' or 'inadequate'.

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