Ofsted inspection overhaul introduces major change for headteachers

• Ofsted and the school leaders’ union NAHT will collaborate to monitor the impact of the new school inspection system on headteachers’ mental health.
• This agreement follows repeated concerns raised by the NAHT about headteacher wellbeing, including a recent poll where nearly half of school leaders reported needing mental health support.
• The decision to monitor comes after Ofsted scrapped single-word judgments in 2024, a move influenced by criticism following headteacher Ruth Perry’s death by suicide.
• An advisory group, established by NAHT and including Ofsted and the Department for Education, will examine data on the new system's rollout and its effect on wellbeing.
• Ofsted’s chief inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, expressed the watchdog's keenness to use data to make improvements and gather feedback on the system.

IN FULL

Ofsted school inspection shake-up will include one major change