“Teachers’ Unions Demand Overhaul of Ofsted Amid Ongoing Concerns Over Inspection Practices” 2024-09-22

Teachers' unions are expressing strong concerns that Ofsted, the schools inspectorate, cannot be trusted to implement its own reforms. This comes in the wake of ongoing reports from headteachers indicating that school inspections are causing significant distress among staff. At the upcoming Labour party conference, , sister of —who tragically took her own life last year following an inspection that downgraded her school from outstanding to inadequate—will advocate for a comprehensive overhaul of Ofsted. While she acknowledges the government's recent decision to eliminate single-word judgments, Waters, along with representatives from all four major teaching unions, argues that the inspectorate still operates under a culture of "fear and terror." They are calling for more substantial changes to ensure a healthier environment for educators and students alike.

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Question 1: What is the main concern raised by teachers' unions regarding Ofsted?

The main concern is that Ofsted cannot be trusted to reform itself, as many headteachers report that school inspections are causing distress among staff.

Question 2: Who is Prof Julia Waters and what is her connection to the issue?

Prof Julia Waters is the sister of Ruth Perry, a headteacher who tragically took her own life after her school was downgraded from outstanding to inadequate by Ofsted. She is advocating for a complete reform of the inspectorate.

Question 3: What recent change has the government confirmed regarding Ofsted's inspection process?

The government has confirmed that Ofsted's single-word judgments will be scrapped, which is a step welcomed by the unions, but they still call for deeper reforms.

Question 4: What culture do the teaching unions claim still exists within Ofsted?

The teaching unions claim that Ofsted operates with a culture of "fear and terror," which they believe needs to be addressed for meaningful reform to occur.