Schools watchdog faces existential crisis and urgent reform is needed, say ex-inspectors

More than nine in 10 poll respondents oppose single-phrase judgments such as ‘inadequate’

Ofsted is facing an existential crisis and piecemeal change is not enough, former senior inspectors have said.

The new education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, and the chief inspector of schools must take “urgent principled action” to reform the current inspection regime, according to a report.

Ofsted has come under scrutiny after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.

The use of one-word conclusions has been controversial (PA)

Mrs Perry took her own life after an Ofsted report downgraded her school, Caversham Primary in Reading, from its highest rating, “outstanding”, to its lowest rating, “inadequate”, over safeguarding concerns.

In March, Sir Martyn Oliver, chief inspector of Ofsted, launched a public consultation on the future of inspection.

But two former senior inspectors, Frank Norris and Colin Richards, set up an alternative consultation, The Big Listen, in May to ask questions that Ofsted did not cover.

They said Ofsted’s consultation did not ask whether the watchdog should still use single-phrase judgments to rate schools.

More than 1,300 people took part in a self-selecting poll on the The Alternative Big Listen website.

More than nine in 10 respondents said they did not support using single-phrase judgments to characterise the effectiveness of schools, and they believed Ofsted was not fit for purpose.

The report, by Mr Norris and Mr Richards, concluded: “It is clear that Ofsted is facing an existential crisis – whether to engage in piecemeal change, to be fundamentally reformed or to be replaced altogether. Our findings imply that the first of these is no longer a viable option.”

It said Ms Phillipson and Sir Martyn needed to take urgent principled action to reform the school inspection regime.

Labour has previously pledged to replace single headline Ofsted grades with a report card system.

Mr Richards said their findings showed Ofsted had lost significant levels of trust and confidence and that fundamental, not piecemeal, change was required.

The outcome of Ofsted’s consultation has not yet been published.

Additional reporting by PA