Colchester teachers welcome scrapping of one-word Ofsted grading

Schools will no longer be issued with one of four headline grades for overall effectiveness – outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate – when inspected.

This academic year, parents will still be able to see the four grades across the existing sub-categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

The Education Secretary said the Government could intervene this year if a school is rated as “inadequate” in any of the four sub-categories – and they could be forced to convert into an academy.

Bridget Phillipson has said she will not hesitate to “take action” where schools are failing.

Earlier this year Bridget Harris, headteacher at St Thomas More’s Catholic Primary School, in Colchester, called for an overhaul of Ofsted inspections due to the “pressure” they put teachers under.

Ms Harris’ school was rated outstanding by Ofsted after four inspectors visited the site in November last year.

Speaking to the Gazette she said she was very pleased to hear gradings would cease.

Pleased - Headteacher at St Thomas More’s Catholic Primary School Bridget Harris (Image: Public)

She said: “Ofsted inspections are a snapshot of a school during a moment in time and as such they cannot always reflect the very positive things that are happening in our schools.

“During an inspection staff and pupils are often anxious and they don’t always act as they normally would and I truly believe it is the grading that causes the most stress to staff as a drop in judgement can be seen as failure.

“Parents are clever, they don’t need a grade to choose a school. They can read an Ofsted  report card, they can visit and look around and they can talk to other parents.

“Ofsted don’t always get it right, they can’t. Our schools are wonderful places where we work hard to provide the very best education for our young people but they are all so very different so a one-size grade cannot possibly fit all.”

Mark Goacher, who is a Green councillor and history teacher at Colchester Sixth Form, said his party’s position was that Ofsted should be abolished.

Teacher - Mark Goacher (Image: Steve Brading)

He said: “I think it is a positive first step, in that we all know these one-word descriptions are incredibly simplistic, blunt and can cause an immense amount of what I think is unnecessary stress to staff.

“There was that awful situation with one teacher who committed suicide as well.

“It is only a first step; it is nowhere near as far as where I would go.

“The view of the Green Party is that Ofsted needs to be abolished, it is not fit for purpose.

“It can be punitive, and often the criteria they use to make judgements are fad driven and change with the wind – whatever the latest educational fad is at the time.

“I think it needs to be replaced with something else, something more collaborative with individual institutions.”

Happy - Mark Cory also welcomed the change (Image: Steve Brading)

Fellow councillor and teacher Mark Cory added: “My reaction is very positive; I am very pleased to hear about this change.

“Being a part time teacher and councillor, it is a right move towards improving the quality of monitoring the education system.

“I still think Ofsted needs further reform.

“It is a step in the right direction and will remove some stress and pressure for teachers.”