Ofsted’s Special Measures/ Statistics for Autumn 2006

31st January 2007

Commenting on the latest figures from Ofsted on the number of schools going into special measures Steve Sinnott,General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers Britain’s largest teaching union said:

“Ofsted’s figures demonstrate the unfairness of the current inspection regime. Ofsted’s open admission that it has raised the bar of schools performance means for schools an arbitrary moving of the goal posts.

“Schools now find themselves in an Alice in Wonderland situation where what was once considered satisfactory is now unsatisfactory.

“School communities are devastated by being labelled as failing. While no one condones poor standards, the current inspection system represents the opposite of what schools need to improve.

“The current inspection arrangements are in urgent need of fundamental review.  Accusations of blame and failure are not the best ways of achieving school improvement”.