‘Judge me on what happens in September’ says Ofsted chief

Sir Martyn Oliver has said heads should judge him on updated Ofsted reforms due to be released in September, admitting he only put out “foundations” of a plan originally because the sector demanded “urgent” reform.

The chief inspector has been widely criticised for the rushed nature of plans for new report cards and a new inspection framework.

It also emerged recently Ofsted won’t respond to its own consultation until September, giving leaders just weeks to digest the proposals before inspections resume in November – despite a previous pledge from the inspectorate that schools would get a full term’s notice.

Speaking at the Festival of Education this morning, Oliver was asked how his aim of rebuilding trust with the sector was going.

He said it had “gone to a certain level”, but added that “until we publish the document, there is nothing anyone else can do. And that is a difficult, difficult state.”

On the report card plans, Oliver said Ofsted “could have taken another one or two more years, but that wasn’t what the system was saying.

“The system was saying Ofsted needed urgent and quick reform. And so I chose to put something out that I knew would be just the beginnings, just the foundations.”

‘People will understand better in September’

He pointed to the watchdog’s testing of the proposals.

“I think we’ve done something like 234 test visits in the period between publishing that document and where we are today, and the amount of work that we’ve done to listen to teachers, to shape and to change. We’re taking that time to just get it absolutely right.

“And I think in September, some of the things that I originally set out to achieve, when I get a chance to explain them, I think people will understand better, and hopefully it will begin to rebuild that trust.”

Ofsted had originally pledged to give schools a full term to give schools a notice period “equivalent to one term between the publication of our post-consultation response and inspection materials and the start of education inspections”.

But with its firm plans now not coming until September, leaders have warned they will have just weeks to prepare for the new regime. Unions have called for the reintroductions to be pushed back.

Oliver said he was “sorry” for the lack of notice, but said Ofsted had “never ever” paused inspection during development of a new framework before, as it will between September and November.

‘Judge me by what comes out’

Would he as a leader be happy with just a few weeks’ notice?

“Well, it depends on what you see, what comes out from what I’m about to produce in September, which…I’m still at the state of finalising. And I can’t really go into until that point, but I think in September, judge me by what comes out and what you read then at that point.”

But Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said the “mess Ofsted have got themselves into is entirely of Sir Martyn Oliver’s making and it is disappointing that he has tried to pass the buck.

“He is wrong to claim that the profession demanded urgent reform, we demanded evidence-based reform that would solve the important negative consequences of the current inspection framework.

“Instead of listening, Ofsted rushed out ill-conceived proposals which were then met with predictable and almost universal opposition. Ofsted could have paused and reconsidered. Instead, Ofsted pressed on.”

Judgment ‘unlikely to be positive’

Kebede said Oliver was “right to say that he will be judged on Ofsted’s delayed proposals.

“Based on his track record it is unlikely to be positive”.

It comes after Ofsted scrapped single-phrase headline judgments last year. The new report cards will see schools judged with five grades across up to 11 judgment areas.

Oliver this morning said parents “do want some definition” on which to judge schools, but that the change may also affect other things.

“Here’s the burning question. What’s Rightmove going to do?” he said. The house sale and rental website has a section on “schools” for each advert, showing their proximity and Ofsted grade.

Does he believe the change to report cards will have an impact on house prices?

“I don’t know. I do know that where I live, after all those years of living at least 20 minutes away from my school, sometimes 40 minutes, I ended up supporting two special measures schools right where I lived.

“The house prices shot up. Both went outstanding, and the house prices went up £15,000 pounds within a week. It does make a difference.”

Does he think it’s a good thing that might change?

“It’s not whether I think it’s a good or bad thing. Parents obviously put a value on it,” Oliver said.