England's education watchdog, Ofsted, has officially launched a new school report card system, marking its most substantial operational overhaul in decades.
The transformative changes follow the tragic death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. Her family stated that she took her own life after an Ofsted inspection, a conclusion later supported by a coroner who ruled the inspection contributed to her death. This event sparked national outrage and intensified calls for a more compassionate and nuanced approach to school assessments.
A New Framework for Assessment
The new inspection framework abolishes the controversial single-word overall judgements that often defined a school's public reputation. In their place, detailed report cards will assess schools across multiple distinct areas. These areas include the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.
However, the system does retain some simplified judgements. Schools can now be rated as "exemplary" or "secure" in their performance. Crucially, the assessment of safeguarding – the measures to protect children – will be judged as either "effective" or "ineffective", with the latter likely triggering immediate action.
Mixed Reactions from the Education Sector
Ofsted's chief inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, has championed the new approach. He stated that the system is designed to "raise standards for all children" and be "better for parents" by providing more useful and detailed information about their child's school. He also announced practical changes to the inspection process, including that initial inspections will be led by the most experienced personnel and will avoid the final week of the term before Christmas to allow for additional staff training.
Despite these assurances, teaching unions have responded with significant criticism. The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) declared the system remains "unsafe, unfair and unsustainable". The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) issued a strong warning, stating that the new five-point grading scale will "generate stress and pressure" on educators.
Pepe Di'Iasio, General Secretary of the ASCL, elaborated on these concerns, saying: "The new inspection framework is fundamentally flawed, and the five-point grading scale poses a significant risk to the wellbeing of school and college leaders and teachers. We also fear that it will be very difficult for inspectors to arrive at so many judgements consistently and reliably, and therefore parents will not be better informed under the new framework."
The NAHT's recent legal challenge over Ofsted's consultation process was dismissed by the High Court. Nevertheless, its general secretary, Paul Whiteman, emphasised that profound concerns about "the mental health and safety of school leaders" have not been adequately addressed.
A Step Towards Rebuilding Trust
Amid the criticism, some voices have welcomed aspects of the reform. Jason Elsom, chief executive of Parentkind, applauded the increased focus on parental involvement. "Ofsted's new inspection framework listens to parents," he said. "For the first time, schools must show they are working with families, and no school can achieve top marks unless it gets this right. This is a big win for parents and a crucial step towards rebuilding trust between schools and families."
A Department for Education spokesperson backed the changes, stating: "The government is determined to deliver a brilliant education for every child, that means shining a light on what's working and driving change where standards need to improve. Parents are backing new school report cards to provide the fuller picture of school performance that they want."
The launch of this new system represents a pivotal moment for education in England, balancing the demand for accountability with the urgent need for a supportive and humane inspection regime.
