More than nine in 10 school leaders (91 per cent) responding to a union survey say they oppose Ofsted’s revised inspection plans.
And more than three-fifths (62 per cent) of the 1,400 respondents to the NAHT poll said they oppose those plans strongly.
The poll was sent overnight after Ofsted yesterday published its finalised school inspection framework.
One-third said the new approach would have a negative impact on their wellbeing, with a further 58 per cent saying the effect would be very negative.
The NAHT represents more than 37,000 school leaders in early years, primary, secondary and special schools.
The NEU teaching union has also carried out a poll of its members. It said today that responses from 1,577 teachers and school leaders show 88 per cent do not think the new inspection system will address the impact of Ofsted inspections on the mental health of school staff.
And an even greater proportion - 94 per cent - do not believe Ofsted inspectors will be able to reliably assess seven areas of school life through a single inspection.
‘Comprehensive rejection’
The switch to grading schools using a new five-point scale will start from November. Ofsted is not carrying out routine inspections in the first half term of the year.
The plans published yesterday included several changes from the original proposals, including a reduction in the number of areas that schools will be graded on. In addition, Ofsted has rewritten the toolkits that inspectors will use to assess schools.
However, NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said that his union’s poll shows “a comprehensive rejection” of the “small-scale changes they have made”.
He added: “This is the result of Ofsted’s failure to properly listen to and engage with teaching professionals, or to learn lessons from other jurisdictions where high-stakes inspections have been abandoned in favour of more measured and supportive forms of accountability.
“This is a situation of the inspectorate’s own making and one that was totally avoidable. It has lost the confidence of those it inspects, meaning its plans cannot go forward. Wise counsel must prevail - the government must act to safeguard the wellbeing of teachers and leaders.”
Workload fears
The NAHT has also analysed the free text comments it received from more than 800 of the members responding.
It said a dominant theme in the responses was the detrimental effect Ofsted has on the mental health and wellbeing of school leaders and staff.
It adds that many comments reference stress, anxiety, burnout and even decisions to retire early or leave the profession.
Ofsted has said it will add an extra inspector to all full inspections of schools to allow for more time to focus on engaging with leaders and quality.
However, NAHT respondents have said that the additional inspector is viewed as adding pressure rather than offering support.
The union also said that many respondents feel the new framework is simply a rebranding, and that the grading system is still perceived as punitive.
Under Ofsted’s framework, schools will be evaluated in six areas using a new five-point grading system and also given a binary “met” or “not met” judgement for safeguarding.
This is down from the eight areas Ofsted originally proposed but is an increase on the most recent framework in which schools received judgements in four main areas.
NAHT respondents said the expanded number of inspection areas and a shift from using a “best fit” to “secure fit” grading approach - meaning schools have to achieve all of the grade descriptors to achieve a particular grade - are expected to significantly increase workload.
‘Rehashed’ system
Leaders also said they anticipate needing to rewrite documentation and prepare staff for more detailed scrutiny.
The NAHT said its members have also criticised “the short lead time” before implementation in November as unrealistic.
The NEU poll findings showed that 91 per cent of respondents did not think schools have been given enough time to be ready.
General secretary Daniel Kebede said: “Teachers and school leaders are trapped in a rehashed version of a punitive, high-stakes system that has been proven to pose a risk to life.
“These reforms are not the positive change we needed - they will be bad for our schools, bad for the workforce but also bad for parents and students.
“It’s time now for our education secretary to intervene before it’s too late to change course.”
The NAHT said that some leaders responding to its poll called for “a complete overhaul” of the inspection system rather than “tinkering around the edges”.
An Ofsted spokesperson said: “Sir Martyn Oliver had a positive call with over 900 school leaders this morning to explain the changes we’re making in the best interests of children, parents and education professionals.”
Ofsted said it looks forward to working with sector organisations in the months ahead “to ensure a safe and secure introduction of the renewed framework”.
The Association of School and College Leaders is currently asking its elected members about whether union members should stop working as contracted Ofsted inspectors because of its concerns about the new framework.
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