- Ofsted's chief inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, has vowed the watchdog will "never downplay" disappointing outcomes for disadvantaged and vulnerable students.
- Speaking at the Association of School and College Leaders' conference, Sir Martyn stated Ofsted would "never succumb to the quiet curse of low expectations" and would be "more exacting" in its assessments.
- The new report card system was launched in November despite warnings from teaching unions about its potential impact on staff mental health.
- Sir Martyn expects more schools to receive the new "needs attention" grade than the previous "requires improvement" grade, defending this as being "more exacting".
- Teaching unions, including NAHT, have criticised Ofsted for increasing pressure on schools, especially given the changes followed concerns about headteacher wellbeing after Ruth Perry's death.
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