NUT reaction to OFSTED annual report

22 November 2006

Commenting on OFSTED’s annual report, Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said:

“I welcome the fact that the new Chief Inspector has taken a measured approach in her first report. The overall picture of achievement in schools in England is positive.

“But she has inherited some fundamental problems. While no one has a brief for failure, it would be better if local authorities had the opportunity to work with schools to overcome difficulties rather than threats of closure or sackings undermining staff morale.

“Heads often feel that inspection has become a type of Russian roulette following previous arbitrary changes by OFSTED to the rules on inspection.

“Christine Gilbert is right to highlight the importance of leadership to high standards but the effect of arbitrary rule changes has been to discourage and undermine the morale of some head teachers.

“The Chief Inspector has taken an objective view of over-hyped initiatives such as academies. She has not fallen for the spin that they are the answer to multiple problems in tough areas. Their high staff turnover and the limited impact of management on teaching quality underlines this fact. She rightly says we need to look at new ways of tackling the effects of multiple disadvantage on young people.”