Major Overhaul: UK Government Scraps One-Word Ofsted Ratings for Schools, Introduces Detailed Report Cards

Ofsted's single-word school evaluations to be discontinued at once

This modification comes after discussions with educational stakeholders and relatives of headteacher Ruth Perry, whose suicide followed an Ofsted review.

Political correspondent @fayebrownSky

Monday, September 2, 2024, 08:

State schools will no longer receive single-word Ofsted ratings, effective immediately, a decision that's being celebrated as a "significant milestone for children."

Before, the academic oversight body assigned one of four ratings to the schools it evaluated: excellent, satisfactory, needs betterment, or unsatisfactory.

Starting this academic year, the Department for Education (DfE) has introduced a new grading system that includes four levels. These will be applied to the current sub-categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

Starting in September 2025, new school report cards will be implemented to offer parents a detailed overview of school performance and enhance the effectiveness of inspections in promoting improvements, the announcement stated.

The decision was made after consultations with educational stakeholders and relatives of headteacher Ruth Perry, who died by suicide when her Caversham Primary School in Reading was demoted from "outstanding" to "inadequate" by an Ofsted report due to issues with safeguarding.

In 2022, a coroner determined that flaws in the inspection procedures played a role in her passing.

The Department for Education stated that simplistic, single phrase grades do not offer a just and precise evaluation of a school's overall performance. They believe the modification will aid in dismantling obstacles to opportunities.

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Speaking on Sky News' "Breakfast with Kay Burley," Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced: "Today, we are implementing this change as I think it's vital for parents to have greater insight into the activities and current circumstances of our schools, which, as it stands, are not effectively addressed by our existing system.

"The stakes are too high, and there isn't a clear enough emphasis on improving our schools' quality. This is crucial as I desire every child to receive an excellent education and a strong foundation for their future."

The new Labour administration has prioritized transformation, promising to enhance public education quality and to increase funding by imposing a tax on private school tuition fees.

In today's announcement, the government declared that it will focus on enhancing plans for schools that are underperforming, instead of just switching their management.

Beginning in early 2025, regional enhancement groups will be established to collaborate with schools that are not meeting performance standards, aiming to tackle their areas of improvement.

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In situations where schools are found to be significantly underperforming, to the extent that they would receive an inadequate rating, the government will maintain its policy of intervention.

The Department for Education (DfE) mentioned that this process might involve implementing an academy order that compels maintained schools to transition into academies, potentially under new leadership in certain cases.

Ms. Phillipson previously stated, "It is abundantly evident that reforms in Ofsted are necessary to promote consistently high and improving standards for all children in every school."

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"Eliminating top-level ratings represents a historic overhaul and a pivotal point for students, families, and educators."

She also mentioned that grades that summarize performance in one headline are "minimal in details for parents and carry significant consequences for schools."

"Parents should have access to a more comprehensive and transparent overview of school performance, and that's exactly what our report cards aim to offer."

"The administration is committed to transforming inspections into a more effective and transparent mechanism to foster enhancements in schools. We pledged to bring about reform, and we are now fulfilling that commitment."

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Changes 'might be more extensive'

The news coincides with students heading back to school this week.

The elimination of standalone headline grades will be implemented in state schools scheduled for inspection this academic year, with plans for similar changes to be extended to independent schools and colleges subsequently.

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Teaching unions have expressed their approval of the plans, which they have been advocating for as necessary reforms for some time.

Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Headteachers, stated: "We have consistently expressed that simplistic single-word evaluations are detrimental, and we are gratified that the government has acted quickly to eliminate them."

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Dr. Patrick Roach, the general secretary of NASUWT, acknowledged that the new government has made a commendable choice but suggested they could do more to dispel the myth that turning into an academy is the sole way to enhance our schools.

"Although today's declarations mark a significant move forward, without comprehensive and fundamental changes to repair the underlying issues of the flawed accountability system, educators and school administrators will still be operating within an imperfect framework," he stated.

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