Commenting on the Education Committee report approving the appointment of Sir Martyn Oliver as Ofsted’s new Chief Inspector from 1 January 2024, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"As Martyn Oliver takes up the post of the new Chief Inspector of Ofsted, he will know that he is taking over an organisation in which the profession has lost trust.
"The Chief Inspector will need to listen to and genuinely engage with all parts of the profession and all types of school and do things very differently. Evaluating schools fairly at a time of such social and economic pressures, and educational under-funding, is complex. The human cost of inspection has rightly been under the spotlight this year. The current inspection system is not reliable or fair and does not take into account the many factors which affect schools. It is time for a real engagement with the chorus of voices calling for a much better system of inspection; one that is supportive, effective and fair.
"Evaluating schools robustly, and in ways that generates good teaching and learning is so important – but it simply must be done in a way which is motivational for leaders and for staff and which retains them in our education system. Real policy change is needed because Ofsted is out of touch with the realities school staff are juggling on the ground, especially as so many other family and children’s services have disappeared.
"The NEU is proud to be part of the Beyond Ofsted Inquiry, which will be publishing its final report and recommendations for a new system of school inspection. Constructive change is needed because Ofsted has clearly failed in its brief."