The “alternative big listen” survey compiled to rival a formal Ofsted consultation on future reforms has revealed widespread dissatisfaction with the watchdog, with nine in 10 respondents deeming it “not fit for purpose”.
Frank Norris and Colin Richards – former inspectors who launched the consultation in May because they did not believe the official poll asked the key questions needed – said Ofsted is “facing an existential crisis”.
Sir Martyn Oliver launched the official Big Listen as part of a raft of measures in response to an inquest last year, which ruled an Ofsted inspection had contributed to the suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry.
Ofsted was widely criticised after its own consultation did not include a specific question on whether single-phrase judgments should be scrapped.
Respondents were able to talk about judgments in free text response fields, but critics said the watchdog had dodged asking about what many see as the fundamental flaw to inspection.
Ofsted ‘does not consider context’
The alternative big listen, though a self-selecting survey whose 1,368 responses have not been weighted to be representative of the sector, shows Ofsted has a mountain to climb to regain trust.
Ninety-one per cent of respondents said the watchdog should not use one or two-word judgments to characterise the overall effectiveness of schools.
Eighty-nine per cent said Ofsted did not sufficiently consider the context of schools’ local areas when reaching judgments.
Ninety per cent said inspections were not consistent from place to place, and 85 per cent disagreed that the number of schools rated ‘good’ or better gave a strong indication of the overall quality of the school system.
There should be a moratorium on routine inspections until a “fundamental review” has taken place, according to 83 per cent of respondents.
Ofsted faces ‘existential crisis’
The consultation’s organisers said it was “clear that Ofsted is facing an existential crisis – whether to engage in piecemeal change, to be fundamentally reformed or to be replaced altogether”.
“Our findings imply that the first of these is no longer a viable option.”
They urged the new education secretary Bridget Phillipson, who has committed to scrapping single-phrase judgments, and Oliver to “take note of our findings and to take urgent principled action to reform the current school inspection regime”.
Sixty-seven per cent of respondents said Ofsted doesn’t hold schools “properly to account” for the quality of education they provide. Thirty-nine per cent said Ofsted did not hold schools properly to account for keeping children safe.
Norris said the survey “offers a damning critique of Ofsted and clearly demonstrates the amount of work the inspectorate needs to do in order to re-establish confidence in the process”.
“Many believe Ofsted has lost its way and is no longer a reliable source of information on the effectiveness of the schools it inspects.
“It is encouraging that the new government is committed to reform of the inspectorate. These findings indicate they are right to do so.”
