Now that educators have had time to let Ofsted’s new report cards and proposals sink in, it’s time to reflect on what these changes actually mean for educators.
Ofsted’s decision to scrap single-word judgements in favour of detailed report cards has been positioned as a significant step forward. The idea is that breaking down school performance into multiple graded areas – such as curriculum quality, student behaviour, and inclusion – will provide a more nuanced view of education quality.
While parents have welcomed the change, teachers and school leaders are far less convinced. A Teacher Tapp survey of over 11,000 teachers found that only 6% felt positive about the new system.
If Ofsted really wants to create an effective, fair, and supportive system, it’s time to go beyond superficial reforms. Let’s explore why teachers remain apprehensive and what a real alternative – one built around growth, support, and professional trust – could look like.
A New System, The Same Old Stress? Why Teachers Are Sceptical
At first glance, Ofsted’s new approach seems promising. Moving beyond single-word labels like ‘Good’ or ‘Inadequate’ is a step in the right direction. They’ve also pledged to remove ‘deep dives,’ in favour of focusing on learning outcomes.
However, in reality, the structural problems of high-stakes accountability remain.
In England, schools will now be graded in the following areas:
- Leadership and governance
- Curriculum
- Developing teaching
- Achievement
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Attendance
- Personal development and wellbeing
- Inclusion
- Safeguarding
- Early years in schools (where applicable)
- Sixth form in schools (where applicable)
Here’s what the proposed report cards will look like:
With a traffic light grading system, many educators aren’t convinced that this is much of a change from how things are usually done.
Key Concerns Among School Staff:
- More Graded Areas = More Bureaucracy? Schools will now be judged across multiple categories, but this doesn’t necessarily mean a fairer system. Instead, it could mean more admin, more data collection, and more pressure to ‘prove’ success in ways that don’t necessarily reflect real teaching and learning.
- Workload Will Continue to Rise. Teachers already spend hours documenting lesson plans, tracking progress, and evidencing ‘impact’ for inspections. If each new graded category requires specific evidence, reports, and data, it could increase workload rather than reduce it.
- Fear of High-Stakes Consequences. Even with a broader set of categories, the fundamental concern remains: Ofsted inspections still hold the power to make or break careers. Schools with lower scores will continue to face reputational damage, staff retention issues, and intervention measures.
- Inspections Will be Less Accurate and Reliable. With only two days to complete inspections and a lot of areas to cover, the complexity of the new report cards means inspectors are unlikely to accurately assess schools’ activity and achievement across a wide range of categories.
So, what’s the solution? What would a teacher-led, school-focused alternative look like?
Moving From Compliance to Collaboration: What a Better Ofsted Would Look Like
If a complete Ofsted overhaul could be a possibility in the future, we’ve proposed an idea of what that could look like.
Scrap ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ Criteria in Favour of Contextualised Inspections
A rural primary school with mixed-age classes cannot be judged in the same way as an urban secondary with high SEND needs. Results from the Big Listen highlight that this is a concern for educators.
Although Ofsted have said they will ‘summarise’ information about schools alongside the report card, a better system would tailor evaluations to each school’s context.
Schools should be benchmarked against similar settings rather than a rigid national framework. For example, assessing ‘behaviour and attitudes’ will vastly differ by school, and poor pupil behaviour can be caused by a multitude of issues – not necessarily just because of school or teaching methods.
Replace ‘Tick-Box Compliance’ with Real Teacher & Student Voice
Ofsted often fails to reflect the real experiences of teachers and students, with some educators finding the new reforms to be completely out of touch with real concerns.
There are arguments that a more radical approach is needed, where schools would be evaluated on:
- Teacher-led assessments of school culture: Rather than relying solely on Ofsted’s judgements, schools should undergo peer reviews led by senior teachers from other schools.
- Student feedback & lived experiences: Ofsted should actively engage with students about their daily experiences, not just snapshot surveys during inspections.
Replace ‘Inspections’ with a Long-Term School Development Model
Instead of high-stakes, one-off visits, an ongoing, collaborative process could be more effective:
- Work WITH schools, not against them: Ofsted could consider partnering with schools throughout the year rather than turning up for a high-pressure snapshot.
- Use trained, experienced school leaders as inspectors: All inspectors should have recent classroom experience and a deep understanding of modern educational challenges.
What Can School Leaders Do Right Now?
While reforms take time to implement and adjust to, school leaders can proactively shape a healthier approach to inspections in their schools:
Prioritise Wellbeing Over Inspection Panic
- Make mental health and workload policies a core part of leadership strategy.
- Push back against ‘Ofsted-focused’ teaching and promote long-term curriculum enrichment instead.
Push for Policy Change
- Join in discussions advocating for a reformed inspection system, and have your voice heard during government surveys.
- Encourage unions and education bodies to demand a more sustainable alternative to punitive inspections.
Is Ofsted Missing an Opportunity for Real Change?
The introduction of Ofsted’s new report cards doesn’t address the fundamental problem: a high-stakes, fear-driven inspection system.
Teachers, leaders, and unions have been clear – if Ofsted truly wants to support schools, it must:
- Move from one-off inspections to long-term school improvement models.
- Recognise school context rather than enforcing blanket grading.
- Reduce excessive workload by eliminating unnecessary evidence requirements.
- Actively include teachers and students in the evaluation process.
Until then, school leaders and teachers will remain sceptical. If Ofsted really wants to build trust and drive improvement, it needs to work with schools, not against them.
What’s Your View?
Are you a school leader preparing for Ofsted under the new system? What are your thoughts on how inspections should change? Join in the conversation on LinkedIn.