Teach-Secondary-Issue-14.5

The current Labour government has every reason to feel confident. It has a majority large enough to do what it wishes, and four years remaining to withstand the possible short-term unpopularity of any of its measures. Yet the decision to rescind the winter fuel cut, and the ongoing vacillations over the two-child cap on benefits, suggest a government that’s somewhat in disarray – at least in terms of its core purposes. The tipping point On the face of it, education seems to be one area in which Labour has been relatively courageous. It has stuck to its policy of ending the VAT exemption on private school fees, and withstood some withering (and cleverly orchestrated) attacks from right-leaning critics on its Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Funding for schools has also seen something of an increase. And yet, as I’ve argued here and elsewhere, this is a government whose hands remain tightly tied by too many of the damaging developments of the Coalition and Conservative years. It’s presently facing a big test on Ofsted reform – an area where the views of professionals and the wider public have gradually converged. (see tiny.cc/ ts145-MB1 for more details). The tragic suicide of primary headteacher Ruth Perry in January 2023 was a crucial tipping point for many, who had long seen the inspection system as overtly harsh and increasingly unfit for purpose. The decision in April this year to make former HMCI Amanda Spielman a Conservative peer caused further anger, with many labelling it an ‘insult’ to the profession. ‘Cliff edge’ concerns As ShadowEducation Secretary, Bridget Phillipson promised reform, including replacing Ofsted’s reviled single-word judgements with a more inclusive ‘report card’ system. Following Labour’s 2024 election win, Ofsted was duly tasked with devising a new set of proposals under the fresh leadership of Sir Martyn Oliver. Published in February 2025, those proposals included a plan for no less than five new sub-grades of judgement, with schools offered a complex and unwieldy ‘toolkit’ for working out what was to be expected of them (see tiny.cc/ts145- MB2). The profession was then given just twomonths in which to respond, with the government having signalled its wish for the new system to be up and running by November this year. The matter still looks to be far from settled, however. An open letter signed by all the main teaching unions and a number of teaching professionals condemned the proposals (see tinyurl. com/ts145-MB3). The former headteacher and Chair of the New Visions for Education Group, Sir Alasdair Macdonald, has argued that, “ The proposed system still visits schools and passes judgements on them in too little time and on too little meaningful data, without having any responsibility for the actions that follow .” Speaking to heads, many believe that the plans will lead to the same ‘cliff edge’ concerns, along with the constant risk that one unfavourable Ofsted report could spell the end of a long and hitherto successful career. It’s not as if there aren’t any alternative approaches. The year-long ‘Beyond Ofsted’ inquiry (beyondofsted.org.uk ), for example, has suggested that every school conduct its own ongoing performance reviews, while working closely with a School Improvement Partner to address any perceived areas of weakness. It has also proposed that safeguarding be considered as a separate category, and that inspectors should have prior experience in the areas of school leadership, improvement and/or governance. (Full disclosure – I was a member of the inquiry.) The Association of School and College Leaders, meanwhile, has come up with its ownmore streamlined and potentially fairer scheme for school accountability (see tinyurl.com/ ts145-MB4). Agenuine reset This ongoing saga leaves the government with some important decisions tomake. We’re constantly told that our public services require not just cash, but also reform– but what kind of reform? We’re currently being presented with the chance to enact a genuine reset of our school system – one that would end overly punitive forms of accountability, while addressing a series of deeper problems regarding recruitment, retention and morale. At the same time, we could implement urgently needed reforms to school admissions, exams and qualifications. The return of a Labour government with a substantive majority offers a once-in-a generation chance to reject the approach of successive Conservative administrations. Sending these proposals back, and devising a more collaborative inspection system would be an excellent start. The profession at large has some clear and eminently practical proposals for a better system of school accountability – so why isn’t Labour taking notes? Melissa Benn Melissa Benn (@Melissa_Benn) is the author of Life Lessons: The Case for a National Education Servic e, and is a Visiting Professor at York St John University 17 teachwire.net/secondary S C H O O L O F T H O U G H T