The cross-party Committee will look at the current inspection framework introduced in 2019, and examine whether this has had an impact on school standards and the workload and wellbeing of teachers and school leaders.
MPs will also look into questions raised by the education sector that the ratings and feedback Ofsted gives to schools may not be conducive to helping schools improve. Ofsted has acknowledged there are “legitimate” questions regarding the use of its four-level ratings system.
Another focus of the inquiry will be complaints procedures available to schools. In March 2023, Ofsted Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman said the complaints procedure was “not a satisfying process” for some schools, and that the inspectorate was “doing another round of work to try and find a different way of approaching [complaints]”.
However, responses to Ofsted’s post-inspection surveys last year found that 92% of schools said they were satisfied with the way the inspection was carried out, and 85% agreed that the benefits of inspection outweighed any negative aspects.
