Ofsted is in urgent need of review. This is the conclusion of this final report of the Beyond Ofsted Inquiry. Beyond Ofsted was established to review the impact of inspection policies and practices in primary and secondary schools in England, and alternatives to the current system.
The research found strong support for the reform of Ofsted as, despite calling itself a force for improvement, it had several negative effects including on teacher wellbeing, school improvement and performance. The inquiry also found a deep distrust of the system rooted in a lack of consistency in the expertise of inspectors and the conduct/management of the inspection process.
A review of global inspection systems and academic evidence indicated that alternative systems were possible.
As a result of its work, the Beyond Ofsted Inquiry has formulated a set of recommendations which are summarised below and presented in more detail in the conclusion.
