Education secretary Lucy Powell stated she will instruct the schools regulator Ofsted to “go back to the drawing board” regarding school inspections. Sources indicate that Powell wishes inspectors to take into account the social and economic background of both schools and pupils.
England school inspections face a second major overhaul within a year. Powell's proposed adjustments represent the second significant alteration to the school inspection system in just over a year.
One source noted, "She wants Ofsted to go back to the drawing board when it comes to measuring inclusion in particular. That’s where most of the problems seem to lie." Powell herself asserted that the current inspection system requires a stronger focus on context.
Paul Whiteman stated that schools serve very different communities and encounter varying degrees of difficulty. Last year, the new "report card" system replaced Ofsted's previous headline grades, which ranged from "outstanding" to "inadequate".
A survey of school staff who underwent inspection under the current framework revealed that two-thirds found it as poor or worse than the former structure. Furthermore, the National Education Union reported that three in four members felt inspections negatively impacted mental health.
Steve Wren conducted a study showing that schools receiving higher levels of free school meals or SEND support attained lower ratings than the average.
