School inspections in England will be overhauled for the second time in a year after complaints that a new system introduced under the previous education secretary was dangerously stressful and damaging to teachers' mental health, according to the Guardian.
Key facts
- School inspections in England are to be overhauled for the second time in a year, according to the Guardian.
- Education secretary Lucy Powell will tell Ofsted to 'go back to the drawing board'.
- Teachers raised serious concerns that the new system was dangerously stressful and damaging their mental health.
- The inspection changes were overseen by Powell's predecessor, Bridget Phillipson.
School inspections in England will be overhauled for the second time in a year, following a barrage of complaints that a newly introduced system was dangerously stressful and was damaging teachers’ mental health, according to the Guardian.
The education secretary, Lucy Powell, will tell the schools regulator Ofsted to “go back to the drawing board”, the Guardian reported in an exclusive. The move comes after Powell became concerned that recent inspection changes were creating problems for headteachers.
The changes now under review were overseen by Powell’s predecessor as education secretary, Bridget Phillipson.
Teachers have raised serious concerns about the new approach, the Guardian said, describing it as dangerously stressful. The reported impact on the mental health of staff is central to the decision to revisit the system.
The planned overhaul marks a reversal within a single year, underscoring the difficulty successive ministers have faced in designing an inspection regime that satisfies both regulators and the teaching workforce.
The Guardian’s report did not detail what specific changes the revised system would include or set out a timeline for when any new approach would take effect.
Why it matters
School inspections shape how schools are judged and perceived by parents, and the reported overhaul reflects concerns about the impact on the wellbeing of teachers and headteachers. A second overhaul in a year signals continuing instability in how England's schools are held to account.
Frequently asked questions
Why are England's school inspections being overhauled again?
According to the Guardian, the overhaul follows a barrage of complaints that the new inspection system was dangerously stressful and was damaging teachers' mental health.
Who is behind the latest change?
Education secretary Lucy Powell will tell Ofsted to 'go back to the drawing board', after becoming concerned that changes overseen by her predecessor, Bridget Phillipson, were creating problems for headteachers.
How many times have inspections changed recently?
This is the second overhaul of school inspections in England within a year, according to the Guardian.