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The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) is considering strike action after it failed to challenge Ofsted’s new inspection plans in court. The watchdog’s colour-coded report card system is set to take effect in England on 10 November, despite claims from the NAHT that there was inadequate consultation. Ofsted made changes to their inspection process following the tragic death of head teacher Ruth Perry, who ended her life after her school was downgraded during an inspection.
Despite the legal challenge being thrown out by the High Court, the NAHT remains concerned about the potential impact of Ofsted’s new system on the mental health and wellbeing of school leaders and staff. The union, along with two other teachers’ unions, are mulling over the possibility of appealing the decision and consulting their members about industrial action. Ofsted’s chief inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, expressed satisfaction with the court’s ruling, stating that the new framework will benefit parents and be fair to schools.
The new inspection framework, which includes a “traffic light system” for grading schools on various aspects of school life and safeguarding, received overwhelming parental support after a consultation process. The NAHT argued for a narrative-only approach to inspections akin to the one used in Wales by Estyn, the Welsh school inspectorate. While the union claimed that wellbeing considerations were overlooked by Ofsted in developing their plans, the watchdog’s barrister, Sir James Eadie, refuted this claim, emphasizing that wellbeing issues were taken into account.
Mr. Justice Saini, after weighing both arguments, emphasized that Ofsted has the autonomy to decide how to conduct its inspections in an effective manner. Under the new system, schools will be graded on a five-point scale across different areas such as curriculum, teaching, early years provision, achievement, inclusivity, and leadership. Safeguarding standards will also be assessed with a pass or fail grade. Despite controversy surrounding the new plans, Ofsted remains steadfast in its decision to proceed with the rollout of the updated inspection system
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