Ofsted’s chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver has said he is “saddened” that critics of planned inspection reforms have not “managed to understand” them fully.
He was speaking to media following a speech at the Association of School and College Leaders’ (ASCL) annual conference in Liverpool today, in which he said an Ofsted school inspection system without grades would not be “right” or “fair”.
In his speech, interrupted by wry laughter from delegates at one point, he defended the watchdog’s plan to introduce report cards against those who want a “low-accountability system”.
Sir Martyn told delegates that there had been “encouraging” discussion around Ofsted’s proposals for report cards.
He is worried, however, that some have a “misunderstanding” of what report cards are.
Ofsted’s overall single-word effectiveness grades for schools were scrapped by Labour with immediate effect in 2024, but Sir Martyn told headteachers today that the proposal for report cards was never going to bring an end to all graded judgements.
Ofsted inspections ‘must involve grades’
“I know there are some who want a system without grades,” he said. “But Ofsted is not there to just divide schools into those who are meeting a minimum set of standards and those who aren’t. That wouldn’t be right, and it wouldn’t be fair.”
Ofsted is proposing to inspect schools with a report card system from November this year. The proposal includes judging schools across nine different areas with a new five-point grading scale.
However, the inspectorate’s proposals have met strong criticism since they were announced last month, including concerns about how it will judge inclusion.
The chief inspector added that the “most vocal critics of the proposed reforms seem to be under the misapprehension that a new low-accountability system is possible”.
His comments come after ASCL general secretary Pepe Di’Iasio told Vlog that Ofsted’s proposals will take a “sledgehammer” to teacher-recruitment efforts and have “unintended consequences” for the sector.
Sir Martyn said that much of the discussion around report cards had been “really encouraging”, but recognised that some in the sector have “concerns about what we’re proposing”.
Talking to journalists after his speech, he addressed these concerns, saying: “I’m not frustrated; I’m saddened.”
The new system would “massively reduce” pressure on schools by offering targeted support, he said, adding that he is “saddened that people haven’t yet managed to understand and engage” with that aspect of the changes.
No ‘unintended consequences’
The Ofsted chief challenged those who argued that the inspectorate should not grade schools, but instead have a “met” or “not met” system.
“Can you imagine the cliff edge between having ‘met’ and ‘not met’, with nothing in between and no safety net whatsoever?”
In response to a question from Vlog about whether the judgement of “secure”, with two additional grades above it, could instil a sense of inadequacy among leaders, Sir Martyn again said he was “saddened if that’s what people think”.
“I do want to make sure we don’t have unintended consequences and drive bad behaviours from [the proposed changes to inspection].”
Ofsted’s consultation is open until Monday 28 April.
New system ‘shouldn’t mean extra work’
Sir Martyn also addressed concerns in his speech that Ofsted’s new inspection framework could increase workload.
“Please be reassured that we will not be going through everything line by line or ticking things off one by one,” he told school leaders at the ASCL conference.
“Once our inspectors are assured that you’re meeting a secure standard, they will let you know and move on.”
He added: “Nothing in these standards should be a surprise or require extra work from you.”
Not doing things ‘for Ofsted’
Vlog analysis shows that Ofsted’s proposed school inspection system of eight categories with five possible judgements means that there are 390,625 possible inspection outcomes, compared with a maximum of 256 in the old system.
Sir Martyn said: “I hope that you will find nothing in there that you are not already doing, or at least aspire to be doing.”
He was met with laughter from some members of the audience when he told delegates that “I don’t want you to be doing anything ‘for Ofsted’”.
After an uncomfortable pause to allow the audience to settle, the chief inspector said that the inspectorate has based the standards “firmly around the existing professional standards and expectations that you are already working to”.
An investigation by Vlog this week revealed that education consultants are already advertising courses and training on the proposed Ofsted framework, despite it still being under consultation.
Defining ‘secure’ and ‘strong’ grades
The chief inspector also told delegates what the inspectorate is already looking to change in its proposals.
“We are also hearing that we have more work to do on defining the differences between grades, particularly between ‘secure’ and ‘strong’, so that work has begun,” Sir Martyn said.
Ofsted’s proposed five-point grading scale ranges from “causing concern” at the lowest end through “attention needed”, “secure” and “strong”, to the highest rating of “exemplary”.
The ASCL 2025 annual conference is running today and tomorrow in Liverpool.
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