Phillipson vows ‘new era for school standards’ as Ofsted scraps single-word judgments

London: Bridget Phillipson is making big changes to school standards. She wants to start a “new era” as Labour and Ofsted replace single-word judgments with detailed report cards.

In her speech on Monday, she will raise expectations for school leaders. Ofsted’s new inspections will focus on important areas, giving each a separate grade.

Phillipson promises to avoid the “dark days of weak accountability.” She believes these changes will help break the link between a child’s background and their success.

Ofsted’s new report cards will grade schools in nine areas, like attendance and inclusion. Each area will use a color-coded five-point scale.

Schools will receive ratings from “causing concern” to “exemplary.” The new system will start in September and be fully in place by November.

Phillipson emphasizes that they will not return to weak accountability. She believes disadvantaged children suffered the most in the past.

Labour promised to revamp Ofsted’s grading system after headteacher Ruth Perry’s tragic death in 2023. However, her sister worries the new proposals are just a rehash of the old system.

The government announced last year that Ofsted would scrap single-word grades. Previously, schools received one of four judgments: outstanding, good, requires improvement, or inadequate.

These reforms come after criticism of the inspection system, especially after Perry’s death. Her sister, Professor Julia Waters, feels the new model still has dangerous features.

Waters believes the new system retains many issues from the previous one. She worries it could harm teachers and headteachers.

Under the new proposals, schools will be graded in at least eight areas. These include leadership, curriculum, and personal development.

Schools with early years or sixth forms will also be graded separately. However, safeguarding will not receive a grade but will be assessed as either met or not met.

Some leaders criticize the new system. They feel it holds onto outdated inspection models. They believe the new report cards may be worse than the single-word judgments.

Inspectors will focus on how well schools support vulnerable children, including those with special needs. This is part of a new emphasis on inclusion.

Ofsted aims to highlight poor practices more precisely. They want to focus on specific issues rather than generalizing about the whole school.

Sir Martyn, the chief inspector of Ofsted, says the new report cards will be fairer. They will show both strengths and areas for improvement.

Ofsted will also monitor schools needing improvement. They will check if timely actions are taken to raise standards.

From November, Ofsted will stop ungraded inspections. Every school will know their next inspection will be a full, graded one.

The watchdog plans to include more contextual data in inspections. This will help understand the circumstances schools are facing.

A 12-week consultation on these reforms starts Monday. Ofsted will publish a report on the consultation results next summer.