All of these questions were asked in a new campaign group report out last week that sought to find out what school leaders really think about the new 'and improved' inspection framework. You may have read about it in the TES and Telegraph (behind a paywall).
This independent post-Ofsted survey report, the first of its kind, provides an independent analysis of the responses received from the first hundred school leaders following their inspection under the new framework.
The 'Monitoring Ofsted' report makes for challenging reading and provides an evidenced case for immediate, radical action by the inspectorate.
Co-Founder of the The Alternative Big Listen' and former Senior HMI, Frank Norris and his team received more than 100 responses from Heads based on a survey immediately following a school inspection.
Responses were almost always negative. These included:
“I’m determined to retire before the next inspection.”
“It’s the rigid, new system that’s the problem.”
This worries us greatly at Headrest, given that:
Almost 70pc of school leaders said inspections had a negative impact on their wellbeing.
Of the Heads in the survey, they also reported that :
• Two-thirds did not see the new framework as an improvement on the previous one.
• Only half thought that “The ratings given in the report were fair”.
• Less than half found the advice they received valuable.
• Just 42% agreed that the inspection process was supportive.
• 82% disagreed that “I spent just a little time preparing for the inspection”.
• Only 30% agreed that the inspection had positively impacted their institution.
• Just a quarter thought that their career had been positively impacted.
You can reach your own conclusions from this, but with words such as 'harsh', 'brutal', relentless' and 'grueling' peppering the responses, it's hardly going to be a glowing endorsement.
The report is clear:
The new framework is not delivering what was promised. A fundamentally different system is now required.
You can download a copy of the report here.