Replace Ofsted with new system, say NEU members
According to a member survey by the National Education Union, over 80 per cent of teachers believe Ofsted should be replaced with a new system of inspection, and nine in ten believe that single word judgements are unfair reflections of performance.
Three per cent of teachers believe that Ofsted is a reliable and trusted arbiter of standards, and only four per cent believe it acts independently of Government.
Almost 80 per cent said these inspections not only distorts workload, but distracts from the core aspects of their job. For over 60 per cent, it causes mental ill-health and affects the home life of just below six in ten (59 per cent).
Two thirds of teachers believe that inspection does not take account of the level of pupil/student need.
Commenting on the findings of the survey, Daniel Kebede, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Ofsted is out of touch and out of favour."
He added that no amount of rebranding "will eradicate the entrenched view that Ofsted’s days are numbered."
Kebede said that single-word judgements are "destructive and wrong," but also criticised Ofsted for not giving attention to the wellbeing of those in the educatipon sector.
He said: "We know that Ofsted has been forced into a listening exercise because of that tragedy, but the NEU and its membership do not believe this will lead to fundamental change.
“Ofsted is not a supportive system. It does not offer advice or solutions. It is a wholly negative force, and never stands up to government.
"There has been no allyship with the profession on the question of real-terms cuts to funding and the damage this is doing. Instead, Ofsted criticises schools for not doing enough when they do not have the resources to do so."
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