Sir Martyn Oliver will not “downplay the disappointing outcomes” in Ofsted’s grading of disadvantaged schools, he will tell leaders today.
His message comes after early analysis of the watchdog’s new report card system showed that disadvantaged schools may be “unfairly penalised” for their achievement outcomes.
In a speech to the Association of School and College Leaders’ annual conference in Liverpool, the chief inspector is expected to say that Ofsted will “never succumb to the quiet curse of low expectations” and that he will make no apologies for being more exacting.
Ofsted launched its latest inspection framework in November, despite warnings from teaching unions that it would negatively impact staff wellbeing.
Risk of being ‘unfairly’ penalised
ASCL has since warned that schools serving disadvantaged communities are at risk of being “penalised unfairly” in the grading of achievement, as a result of the wording of .
In an analysis for Vlog last month, ASCL’s inspection and accountability specialist Andy Jordan found that more than one in five primary and secondary schools was rated as “needs attention” on achievement.
Sir Martyn will acknowledge that more schools are receiving the new “needs attention” grade than the old “requires improvement” grade.
“We are being more exacting, I make no apologies for that,” he will tell school leaders, adding: “We see thousands of schools working in challenging contexts, bucking the odds again and again to give children a life-changing education. But we sometimes see disadvantaged and vulnerable children who are not making the strides that they should.
“Of course, we will recognise the work, celebrate where that school is doing well and identify the contextual challenges being faced. But we can never downplay the disappointing outcomes.”
School leaders have also questioned the inspectorate’s decision to combine the attendance and behaviour evaluation areas, Vlog revealed last month.
Ofsted scrapped single-word judgements for schools in 2024 after criticism of the inspection system following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.
After a consultation, new report cards were rolled out from November 2025, which grade schools across multiple areas on a five-point scale.
‘Quiet curse of low expectations’
Sir Martyn will say that a “misplaced desire for Ofsted to lower the bar stems from a deep empathy with the professionals working in the most challenging contexts - but that lowering of the bar masks an ultimately damaging belief that some children ‘just won’t get there’”.
He will add: “Because when we expect less of certain children, whether because of where they live, what they need, or what’s happening at home, what we are telling them is: ‘We expect less of you. Society expects less of you.’”
Sir Martyn will also say: “We will never acquiesce to the quiet curse of low expectations that would see Ofsted prioritise context over outcomes for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children.”
The bid by the NAHT school leaders’ union to bring a legal challenge against the new system, which was supported by ASCL and the NEU teaching union, was dismissed at the High Court last year.
Ofsted and the NAHT have since announced they will work together to look at how the watchdog’s new report card system is affecting headteacher wellbeing.
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