The union has decided to postpone its request for leaders to resign from their roles as Ofsted inspectors, opting instead to consider legal recourse.
The union has decided to postpone its request for leaders to resign from their roles as Ofsted inspectors, opting instead to consider legal recourse.
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has decided to retract its initiative to request the resignation of leaders serving as Ofsted inspectors, while expressing intent to consider legal action against the reforms.
In June, the union contemplated the unprecedented approach of encouraging members to resign from their roles as Ofsted inspectors if the organization failed to postpone the implementation of new inspections and eliminate the proposed five-grade system.
ASCL has announced that it won’t pursue this plan “at this stage” to allow for evidence collection regarding the real-world implications of the framework during both pilot and regular inspections.
The union has nonetheless committed to “exploring options for legal action” related to the potential effects of new report card evaluations.
When questioned about possible actions, a representative from the union indicated they would discuss their legal approach with the NAHT “as part of the process of exploring options.”
NAHT has already initiated a legal challenge against the Ofsted reforms in the High Court, a development prompted by a report assessing the wellbeing consequences of the proposed changes.
The assessment authored by Sinead Mc Brearty, chief executive of Education Support, warns that new Ofsted report cards will heighten anxiety for leaders who already experience “concerningly high” stress levels.
The leadership of NAHT is also contemplating whether to conduct a ballot among members regarding the possibility of industrial action in response to Ofsted reforms.
During an urgent online meeting last month, nearly 2,000 members were surveyed on their support for examining industrial actions. An overwhelming 89% voted in favor.
Pepe Di’Iasio, ASCL’s general secretary, stated: “The decision to consider legal action is not taken lightly; however, our members are deeply concerned about the stress and pressure anticipated from the new inspection system featuring a five-point grading scale across multiple evaluation areas.
“As highlighted in the feedback for the independent wellbeing impact assessment commissioned by Ofsted, this is likely to create ‘many more ways to fail.’”
While describing the proposed changes as a “recipe for chaos,” Di’Iasio remarked that the union is attempting to act reasonably and will refrain from urging members serving as Ofsted inspectors to withdraw their services for the time being while they gather evidence on the new system’s impact as inspections proceed.
“However, we will closely monitor the situation, and that option remains firmly available,” he added.
An Ofsted representative responded: “We appreciate ASCL’s sensible choice not to request their members who work with us to withdraw as inspectors.
“We have received very positive feedback from our pilots and we are optimistic that our restructured inspections will be well-received when they commence in November.”
