Whilst the NEU continues to campaign on a national level for a new system which is supportive, effective and fair, it is vital that our members are protected from the harmful impact of Ofsted on the ground.
NEU members have made their feelings very clear: Ofsted causes more harm than good and we need urgent and fundamental reform.
The profession can be trusted to do their jobs effectively without a punitive, high-stakes system to keep them in line.
“An inspection system should not cause teachers and other school staff sleepless nights, anxiety, and an urge to leave the profession."
Use our Ofsted risk assessment guide to collect and record the evidence of damage and risk caused by Ofsted and its consequences. This example shows how most effectively to use the assessment in your workplace.
The health and wellbeing of members must be prioritised and protected – before, during and after an inspection.
The NEU called for an immediate pause in Ofsted inspections in response to the coroner’s verdict and conclusions in the Ruth Perry inquest.
For more than 30 years, Ofsted’s toxic regime has been driving school leaders and teachers out of the profession and fuelling a mental health crisis among school staff. Read our statement on Ofsted.
The National Education Union is proud to have been part of the Beyond Ofsted Inquiry – an independent inquiry made up of members of the NEU, industry experts, parents and academics and chaired by former schools minister Lord Jim Knight. It sought to establish an alternative to Ofsted that is supportive, effective and fair.
The Beyond Ofsted Inquiry’s final report was published in November 2023 and calls for radical and transformational change to the inspectorate. Read the inquiry's recommendation.
The Beyond Ofsted Inquiry has called for an immediate pause to all routine Ofsted inspections to allow time to rest and regain the trust of the profession. Duty of care must be any inspectorate’s top priority.
School leaders can support this by:
Remove all references to your school’s Ofsted grading from banners on your school gates and letter heads. Don’t mention it at parents’ evenings/open days.
We urge you, alongside our sister union the NAHT, to step down from serving as Ofsted inspectors.
Ofsted has written a blog to explain the changes they will be making to ungraded inspections in the autumn term. Sir Martyn Oliver announced these changes in his speech to the NAHT in May in which he talked about the importance of professional dialogue between the inspection team and school leadership during inspections.
The emphasis of ungraded inspections will be on providing school leaders with opportunities to demonstrate where they have improved and to discuss where they still have work to do. Because of this change, Ofsted has announced that from the autumn term onwards, it will no longer carry out deep dives during ungraded inspections.
Education journalist Warwick Mansell questions Ofsted's claim of impartiality regarding recruitment to its controversial "curriculum unit"
Students Hamza Shahbaz and Gabriel Perez detail their experiences of campaigning for much needed change in the education system, specifically around the outdated Ofsted inspectorate.
Jane Perryman, Professor of Sociology of Education at UCL, explains why only an alternative system to Ofsted can provide the support schools deserve.
Head teacher Cathy Earley shines a light on the startling gaps in Ofsted inspector expertise.
NEU Leadership member Phillipa Kearns describes working at the chalkface whilst the daily worry of receiving ‘the call’ looms large.
Ken Johnson, NEU Leadership member and head teacher, sets out his thoughts on an alternative to the toxic Ofsted inspection system.
Ofsted is broken and we need to see it replaced urgently by a system of inspection which is supportive, effective and fair.
Scrapping the headline grade is a step in the right direction.
National Education Union poll finds nearly three quarters of teachers have considered leaving the profession because of the negative impact of Ofsted on workload and their mental health.
