Head teachers' unions threaten strike ballots over loss of confidence in Ofsted
Unions representing school leaders in England say they have lost confidence in the inspectorate Ofsted and may hold strike ballots unless wellbeing problems are addressed. An Ofsted survey found 88% of schools reported a negative effect on staff wellbeing.
A dispute between school leaders in England and Ofsted, the national schools inspectorate, is escalating. Two head teachers' unions have said they have no confidence in the watchdog and are prepared to consider strike action unless serious wellbeing problems linked to its inspections are resolved.
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), whose members include senior staff in many secondary schools, called the inspection system "an overbearing mess" and urged the government to pause inspections so teachers do not leave the profession. If change does not come, it said it would seek an indicative ballot on industrial action. The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) will discuss options, including strikes, at a leadership meeting next week.
Survey and government response
The moves followed an Ofsted-published survey in which 88% of schools said recent inspections had harmed staff wellbeing. As reported previously, Education Secretary Lucy Powell wants Ofsted to rework the framework introduced last year. It was meant to ease the strain and workload of inspections, but many heads say the opposite has happened.
The Department for Education said inspection and accountability must reflect the reality in schools and support improvement. Ofsted acknowledged that workload and wellbeing remain a challenge and said it is working with the department.
Background
Hostility toward Ofsted has grown since the death of Ruth Perry, a popular head teacher in Reading. In 2023 a coroner found that an Ofsted inspection contributed to her mental health decline and death. Labour pledged to reform school inspections in its 2024 election manifesto.
ASCL general secretary Pepe Di'Iasio said repeated attempts to resolve concerns through talks had "hit a brick wall". NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said he fully expects the debate to include industrial action.
