{"id":234548,"date":"2025-09-12T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/?p=234548"},"modified":"2025-09-12T11:14:01","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T10:14:01","slug":"ofsted-refuses-to-publish-data-on-response-to-planned-reforms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/ofsted-refuses-to-publish-data-on-response-to-planned-reforms\/","title":{"rendered":"Ofsted keeps report cards support (or lack of) secret"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ofsted is refusing to publish data showing how many people support its new report card inspections, despite pledging transparency over the high-profile reforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The watchdog revealed its final plan<\/a> for the cards this week after making tweaks such as renaming grades<\/a> and merging evaluation areas. The changes follow an initial public consultation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unions say the plans, which will be rolled out in November, are \u201cmuch worse\u201d than previous inspections and will only heap \u201cmore pressure\u201d on leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teachers\u2019 support for ditching headline grades has also plunged<\/a> after details of the alternative have emerged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The top of a report card<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The watchdog received more than 6,500 responses to its consultation, 75 per cent of which were from education professionals. Twenty per cent were from parents and carers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the inspectorate only provided a narrative summary of the responses in its own reply<\/a>, published on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018<\/strong>Completely unacceptable<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The consultation had 102 \u201copen-ended\u201d questions. Ofsted\u2019s summary revealed each was given a \u201csentiment code to indicate the overarching sentiment: positive, negative, mixed, neutral or irrelevant\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responses were also given a \u201cthematic\u201d code to help Ofsted \u201cidentify recurrent themes\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked for a summary of this data, an Ofsted spokesperson said its consultation response was \u201cvery clear that we received a wealth of rich and varied feedback \u2013 all of which we took into account as we designed the renewed framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not publishing any further breakdown.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the inspectorate has been accused of leaning heavily on a smaller poll of parents’ views<\/a>, which it said “showed strong parental support” for its plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pepe Di\u2019Iasio, the general secretary of the leaders\u2019 union ASCL, said it was \u201ccompletely unacceptable\u201d that Ofsted had not published a quantitative analysis of its consultation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pepe
Pepe Di’Iasio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cComplete transparency\u201d was needed to \u201csee in full\u201d sector reactions to the \u201cdeeply problematic\u201d proposals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the NAHT, also accused the inspectorate of avoiding \u201cclear, multiple-choice style questions\u201d on purpose to avoid \u201cproper analysis of the level of support for, or opposition to, its proposals\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its consultation report<\/a>, Ofsted said the plans \u201cgenerated a mixed and sometimes negative reaction\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teachers welcomed \u201cremoving the overall effectiveness grade\u201d and \u201cgreater nuance and detail in the report cards\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it \u201calso heard many concerns\u201d about the proposed reporting system. Teachers backed a more narrative-based report, or a “met or not met\u201d grading system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, \u201corganisations representing school professionals\u2026had a strong negative reaction\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sir Martyn Oliver, the chief inspector, has previously pledged to be \u201copen and transparent\u201d over the reforms, with \u201cnothing hidden from the system\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whiteman said publishing the data was an \u201cimportant test of that commitment\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polls suggest dismay<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Polls suggest growing dismay in the sector. In February, a Teacher Tapp survey showed 75 per cent of teachers supported removing single-word headline grades. But that plunged to 36 per cent this week after Ofsted published its finalised plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The percentage who had \u201cmixed feelings\u201d about moving from one-word grades also soared from 19 to 44 per cent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sir
Sir Martyn Oliver<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While unrepresentative, polls from the NAHT and the National Education Union showed about 90 per cent of respondents opposed the plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most also wanted the inspectorate to pause its plans \u2013 which they believe will not allow for reliable assessment of schools. Inspections will restart in November, initially for volunteer schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Ofsted said Oliver \u201chad a positive call\u201d with 900 school leaders this week and it \u201clooks forward to working with sector organisations in the months ahead to ensure a safe and secure introduction of the renewed framework\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unions blast the watchdog after it only provides a narrative summary of responses to its consultation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":314902,"featured_media":234345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[239,25,890],"post-theme":[2378],"class_list":["post-234548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-education-policy","tag-ofsted","tag-schools","post-theme-ofsted"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t